Good Intentions
by dave-d
Summary: The girls decided that Hinata needed to approach Naruto, but she was too shy to do it herself. What harm could it possibly cause, if Sakura made an effort on the timid girl's behalf? How would that lead to a life or death struggle?
1. one

A number of crystal glasses struck together in toast.

"Cheers!" Ten Ten smiled. "To another Spring!" She took a sip of chilled spring water.

"To Spring!" Ino, Sakura, Shizune, and Kurenai spoke as one. Hinata raised her goblet, but didn't say anything.

"To girls" Ino called out, knocking her glass against others, causing the ring of crystal to sound once again in the dark and quiet corner of the restaurant. "The true heart of the Leaf!"

"Despite what Gai says," Kurenai added with a laugh.

"**O-O-O-O-O-H!** The burning heart of Konoha will kindle the flame of romance within you boys! And that will make you unstoppable. **_A-A-A-A-A-A-H!_**" Ten Ten's imitation had everyone giggling.

"At least he doesn't always carry an _Icha Icha_ book around," Sakura said. She pulled her forehead protector down and over one eye. She then held the small wine menu up like a novel. That had everyone snickering.

"You girls are just jealous of us guys!" Ino held piece of Pocky between her teeth like a cigarette, imitating her sensei. "Anybody got a light? Smoking makes me look cool!" Kurenai almost spat out the water she was swallowing.

"He is correct. Girls do not****possess the heart of a warrior." Ten Ten looked around the room. "If my meal does not get here within five minutes, I will do five hundred kicks. If I cannot do that without stopping, I will do one thousand pushups." Her imitation of Lee had Sakura applauding.

"Do Neji!" Ino said.

Ten Ten just sat there, still and unspeaking.

"She _is!"_ Sakura said, grinning.

Shizune looked at Hinata and smiled. Neither of them was big on gossip or joking, but both thoroughly enjoyed seeing other people act happy and carefree. Hinata sat quietly, hoping that no one made fun of Naruto.

Sakura stood up on her chair, striking a pose. "**I'M GOING TO BE HOKAGE!**"

"I'm glad that she was the one to do Naruto," Ino said.

Sakura jumped up high, then fell hard in her seat. She picked up her fork and spoon and slammed them down hard. "Bring me noodles, now. Ramen ramen _ramenramenramen_…"

Ino made herself look perturbed and exasperated at the same time. "Sakura is so bothersome." She shook her head. "Girls!" It was a perfect imitation of Shikamaru. The loud laughter that followed gave way to more toasts.

"Hey, Hinata! Do Kiba or Shino!" TenTen nudged the white-eyed girl with her elbow.

"_Ummm_…" Hinata crouched down a bit, her face hidden slightly by the collar of her coat.

"Well, that's pretty close to Shino!" Ino said. "Come on girl, join the fun. We need to lighten you up some." Even after a few years of concerted efforts, the girls had been unable to get Hinata to come too far out of her shell.

Kurenai stepped in to save Hinata, as she had a tendency to do. Her imitation of Kiba scratching when he thought no one was looking had everyone in stitches. No one wanted to do Choji that day. They were all on a diet, and wanted to enjoy their main courses.

Naturally, as soon as the shinobi had finished denigrating every guy they knew, the tide changed once again. The talk turned to dating, touching on boys they had gone out with, or ones they would give their last pair of shoes to hook up with.

"How about _you,_ Hinata?" Ten Ten asked. "Do you have your eyes on someone special?"

"Or are you still obsessed with the village's loudest ninja?" Ino asked, shaking her head. "You need to open your eyes. _Sheeesh!"_

"Hey! Naruto's not so bad. He's gotten really strong. And he would never let anyone down, like _some_ guys." Sakura spoke up for her teammate.

"Uh huh," Ino said. "Looks like you have some competition, Hinata. That is, if****a girl with a freakishly large forehead can be considered competition." Hearing that, Hinata bit her lip.

"_That's not it!"_ Sakura came close to shouting. "Naruto's my friend. And, you know how that Frog, Snake, Snail thing goes. I'm going to be like Tsunade, and Naruto is going to be like Jiraiya." No one wanted to mention Sasuke's name.

"If that's true, the Naruto is the last guy that Hinata needs to get involved with." Kurenai shook her head. "Despite spending so much time with that Frog Pervert, he hasn't changed too much, for better or for worse… except I hear that he's developed a new perverted jutsu."

"You _had_ to remind me," Sakura said with a sour face. "When he came back to Konoha, he was talking that stuff within two minutes!" She sighed. "Maybe a girl with patience could get him to shape up some." She looked over at Hinata and cocked her head. Hinata rubbed a number of fingers together.

"Or, who knows howNarut_o_ might change that girl!" Ten Ten chuckled. "Can you imagine Hinata breaking wind during a training match with Kiba?"

That time Kureai did spit out her water. She coughed for a bit before catching her wind. Shizune patted Hinata on the shoulder.

"I think that you really _should_ talk to Naruto sometime, Hinata. I bet you really want to, right?" Sakura smiled a big smile. "Bring him lunch some day. You're a really good cook, and he has an enormous appetite. Or ask him if he'd like to join you for some noodles." She shook her finger at the smaller girl. "Offer to teach him a jutsu…"

"I hate to agree with Sakura, but you should do _something."_ Ino pushed her hair back. "Who knows… if you're lucky… going out with Naruto once might get you to swear off him forever!"

"I think that Hinata needs to find her own time and place," Kurenai said. "If it never comes, then it never comes. That's up to her."

"I wonder," Ten Ten said. "You saw how she changed after fighting Neji." She blushed, mentioning that name. "He told me that it was Naruto's belief in Hinata that made the difference. If Hinata could do it with training and missions, maybe she could do it with boys, too."

"Then we're pretty much agreed," Sakura said, an intense look in her eyes. She had the sudden urge to play matchmaker. "Hinata should approach Naruto." Ino and Ten Ten nodded their heads. Kurenai frowned and Shizune sighed. Hinata looked like she had been doused with ice cold water.

"But…ummm… I… he wouldn't want to… well..." The shy girl stammered, turning pink in the face. "I don't know how to… how to…"

"We do," Ino said with a sly grin.

"That's right," Ten Ten said, rubbing her hands together. "Leave it up to us."

"One of us will coach you about guys. Another will help you pick out some new clothes and make-up. And the third will help you decide what you want to say." Sakura slammed her fist down on the table, her eyes practically shining. "It's settled.

"But..." Hinata swallowed hard.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The main dining room of the Happy Crab was full.

Although the restaurant was fairly new, it drew a huge clientele. The food was excellent, and the introductory prices couldn't be beat.

Making her way through the enthusiastic dinners, Sakura felt as if she had entered a foreign land where the language sounded like a series of slurp, sips, and sighs. The diners were happily engrossed with their meals, most of them unaware when she bumped into them while passing between the crowded benches

"Where is that idiot?" She mumbled to herself, scanning the room. The boy that she was looking for should stand out like a sore thumb, either visually, or by means of his behavior. "There!" The orange and black jumpsuit stood out amongst the more somber colors of the lunch crowd. If that hadn't drawn the pink-haired girl's attention, the tower-like stack of empty bowls would have. That, plus a loud shout for more Ramen.

Smiling, Sakura sat down on the seat opposite of Naruto, without his even knowing that she was there. Pushing the stacks of bowls apart, she caught sight of him, a huge bunch of noodles hanging from his mouth. The sight had her giggling, and then laughing.

"**What!"** Naruto asked with a sour face, after he had sucked his food in.

"I was looking for you, Naruto!" Sakura said. "I'm on a mission." She tugged at her hair a moment, feeling a bit uncertain. This was the right thing to do, wasn't it? Hinata had eventually asked Sakura, Ino, and Ten Ten not to interfere. She timidly thanked them all for their offers, but said that she was _not_ ready to approach Naruto. When the shy girl had left the restaurant, the three schemers hatched their own plan.

"**DAMN!"** Naruto said. "Why did Kakashi-sensei have to send you to find me at lunch time?" Then his eyes lit up some, despite his disappointment. "What _kind_ of mission?"

"No, it's not that kind of mission." Sakura said, holding her hands up.

"Huh?" Naruto pushed his latest empty bowl aside, and then reached for the final full one. "If it's training you're talking about, you'll have to do it by yourself today." He pulled out a long string of noodles and consumed them quickly and loudly. "The guys are going to meet today."

"_Oh?"_ Sakura raised one eyebrow. "You boys are going to probably talk about girls, right?" She smiled. This would be the perfect lead in.

"Maybe." Naruto scratched himself. "Whatever." He picked up the bowl and greedily drank down some of the soup. "Why?"

Sakura rubbed her hands together under the table. Hinata would thank her for this, some day. "Well, we girls had a similar get together last night," she said. "And of course, we all talked about boys." She looked around to make certain that no one else she knew was in the shop. "As it turns out, one girl wants to ask you out, but is too shy to do it herself." Now, she would see if he was able to figure out who it was, based on those clues.

"A girl?" Naruto stopped eating. He pulled at one ear. "Who?" Then he scowled. "If this isn't some kind of joke, why isn't the mystery girl here?" His eyes opened wide, and then he rubbed his chin. Could it be?

"**I told you!"** Sakura said, with more heat than she intended. "She's too shy to come herself. So, I'm speaking for her

"I see." Naruto said. Raising one arm, he signaled the serving girl to bring him more Ramen. "You're speaking for someone else. That's your story, and you're sticking to it."

Sakura nodded her head. By the look in Naruto's eyes, he seemed to have an idea of what was going on. Good. "Yes, like I said, she's very shy. She's liked you for a long time, but never came out and told you."

"Really?" Naruto smiled. "When I was off training with Jiraiya, I stopped hoping that… you know… that girl would ever care about me.

"You suspected?" Sakura was surprised. She had thought that Naruto was too clueless to notice such things. Was he too shy to approach Hinata? This plan might do both him and Hinata a lot of good! "I know that she'll be glad to hear _that. _She spends so much time thinking about you."

"Now that I know the truth, will she come out and speak for herself?" Naruto scratched his head. The look her gave Sakura had his teammate confused.

"I'm…." Sakura froze a moment. Why was Naruto staring at _her_ that way? "I don't know. She's really hard to understand, sometimes." She shook her head, and then twirled some hair around her finger. "I think she would… ifshe was certain that you cared in return. Otherwise, she probably won't say anything.

"You were never that shy around Sasuke, Sakura-chan." Naruto sat straighter in his chair. He struck a sitting pose

"What?" Sakura looked perplexed. "Naruto, what do _I_ have to do with anything?"

"C'mon, Sakura-chan. There's no need to be shy anymore. The secret's out." Naruto flexed his muscles. "I should have known that my charm would wear you down sooner or later!" He began chuckling. "I wish you just came out and said it, though. I like people who are straightforward."

"Me-M-_Me?"_ Sakura stood up. "Naruto, you idiot…"

"Whoa. Take it easy, Sakura-chan. I'm not putting you down. After all, it was brave for you to come here and admit your feelings for me." Naruto cracked his fingers. "Wait until I tell the guys! Lee is going to be so-o-o-o-o jealous…."

"**What?"** Sakura slammed her hand down hard. The tower of bowls tipped over, clattering to the table top with a loud sound. "**Don't**… **you**… **dare**…"

"Girls," Naruto said, practically preening. "It's alright. There's no reason to keep it a secret now."

"**I**… **WASN'T**… **TALKING**… **ABOUT**…**ME**…" Sakura's shout had everyone in the shop go quite. Many had noodles hanging from their mouths when they turned to stare at her. "I was talking about Hinata," Sakura added, talking just above a whisper.

"Sure… sure… I hear you…" Naruto leaned back in his chair, arms folded. He winked. "It's OK. I like you a lot, Sakura-chan. No need to pretend anymore."

Sakura threw a bowl at Naruto's head. Striking his forehead protector, the speeding missile fragmented into a myriad of small pieces, bowling the young ninja over, so to speak. Training with Tsunade had made her freakishly strong.

"**Idiot!**" Sakura stamped her foot. **"Moron!"** She slammed a fist down on the table, causing the table legs to buckle. "How stupid can you be? There probably isn't a word for it!" She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not that shy. I really was talking about Hinata."

"But…." Naruto began to wonder if he had been mistaken after all. "Hinata…."

"Yes. Hinata." Sakura bit her lip, realizing how loudly she had spoken. "You know…… small shy girl…… white eyes…… huge crush on you for as long as anyone could remember…."

"Crush?" Naruto rubbed his sore head. "Hinata?" He pursed his lips. "Me?"

Sakura just closed her eyes and counted to ten "How could anyone have missed that? Even you!" She sighed. "I told her that you would never come and talk with her. I told her that she needed to take the lead." She clenched her fists. _"Geeeez…."_

Naruto just sat there stunned. Sakura didn't like him that way? Hinata did?

"Well, now that you know how she feels, what are you going to do about it?" Sakura almost sounded angry. The face she made was a lot like one the Hokage was known to make.

"Nothing," Naruto answered, folding his arms across his chest. He stuck his lower lip out, and then frowned. "Not a thing." He picked a long strand of Ramen off of his pants, looked at it, and then ate it. The noodle had been nearly lint free. "Not after this stuff."

"Huh?" Sakura's face softened. She began to look worried. "What do you mean?"

"You know my Ninja Way. When I thought you were too shy to admit your feelings for me, I glad you were here in person, making some effort." He shook his head. "But Hinata didn't have the courage to do that. She sent you instead…."

"No." Sakura shook her head. "She didn't." She waved her hands in short little motions. "It wasn't her idea. It was mine. It was my idea, along with Ino and Ten Ten. Hinata asked me not to do anything. She doesn't know I came here!"

"Sure!" Naruto shook his head. "You're a good friend Sakura. But, you shouldn't lie, not even for your friends." He spilled a large number of coins out of his frog purse, counting out the amount he needed to pay his tab. "I'll tell Hinata how I feel about this myself, if I happen to see her."

"Wait!" Sakura stood up. Moving to intercept Naruto, she knocked the coins onto the floor. They rolled this way and that. "Don't say anything to Hinata." She was torn between picking up the money and literally knocking some sense into Naruto. "Please…"

The sound of a ringing bell signaled that Naruto had left through the shop door.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Something caused a covey of birds to take to the wing.

Hinata quickly used her Byakugan, training much in the manner that Neji was known to do.

"One… two… three… four… five… six…seven… eight…"

She had been correct. Good. That was enough for one day. After Asuma, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino had left, she had spent a couple of additional hours working on her own.

For some reason, she had been feeling somewhat edgy. It was as if someone was out there in the forest, watching her. But, after her teammates had left, birds and small animals had been the only thing that her jutsu could pick up.

It would be dark in an hour or so. This was a good time to quit. Her father and Neji would scold her if she stayed out after sundown. That irritated her some, although she was glad that her family cared about her.

A stick snapped. Someone was coming, but made no effort to conceal his- or herself. Who might it be? Did someone else come here to train alone? The only person she knew that had a habit of doing that was….

_Naruto._

She had crept up behind one of the large trees at the edge of the field, the other day. The whole situation had felt so nostalgic, as she watched Naruto practice. Kakashi and Sakura had left, but he stayed behind. The exhibition of strength and speed he put on had left her speechless. He had only been practicing! What might he be like in battle these days?

Another stick snapped. If it _was_ Naruto, what should she do? Her first instinct was to run or hide. But, she remembered what the girls had said at the restaurant. Maybe she _should _muster up her courage and take a chance. What was the worst thing that could happen? He could laugh, or try to let her down easy. If that was the case, at least she would know that there was no reason to keep on dreaming.

"I'll… I'll do it…" If he showed up here, and they were alone, she would be able to talk to him. She was certain of that, even if she did _not_ have the gumption to actively seek him out and speak her heart.

When a large woody bush was parted, someone stepped into view. It _was_ Naruto. Hinata suddenly felt frantic, but forced herself to be calm. No matter how things went, it would all be over soon, one way or another. "N-Naruto-kun." She swallowed hard.

"Hinata." Naruto looked surprised to find her there. He did not sound pleased.

"I… hello, Naruto-kun… there's something…" Hinata rubbed her fingers together. Why did Naruto sound that way? Was he angry because he wanted to training fields to himself? "There's… _ummm_…… something I wanted to say..."

"So I hear…" Naruto said, stopping. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head, making a face. "I thought better of you, Hinata." Normally he wouldn't even talk about the things he had heard from Sakura. It was his way to let stuff like that pass, storing away his opinions of people, quietly letting the knowledge influence the way he thought about them. But, for some reason, he was feeling rather cantankerous. Maybe it was because he had gotten his hopes up over Sakura, and she had burst his bubble.

"Wh-What…." Hinata brought her hand to her mouth. "Naruto-kun.." What could he possibly mean? Why did he think less of her? What could he mean by 'So I hear…'

"I can't believe that you sent Sakura to speak for you." Naruto frowned and furrowed his brow. "That's pretty lame, you know Even though you're shy, I expected better. The girl I once said I could like didn't run away from Neji. She stood her ground." He felt his disappointment growing. He had never even considered Hinata in a romantic sense; but, he also didn't view Ino or Ten Ten that way either. The difference was, he respected Hinata more than those other girls.

"B_-_But…." Hinata bit her lip, her eyes watering some. "I don't understand…." Did Sakura let something slip, accidentally? "I d-didn't ask Sakura to do anything…."

"Oh… of course not…" Naruto kicked at a stone, hard. He made a gesture with one hand. "The pink-haired girl who walked into the Happy Crab was just a figment of my imagination!" He kicked another stone. "I thought you were different than those other girls. I never expected you to play the same kind of silly games that they do." He sighed. "I thought you were better than that." Now why did he say that? He sounded like a pompous judgmental ass, the kind of person he usually ended up shouting at. This was a personal matter, but he didn't have to take it so personally, did he?

"Naruto-kun… I promise… please…" Hinata trembled slightly. She sounded so needy; but, she didn't want Naruto to get the wrong impression of her. "I d-didn't ask anyone to d-do anything for me. I told them I wasn't r-ready for their help…." She blushed. "I really _did_ want to talk to you when you entered the clearing, though."…."

"Maybe I'm not so bright, Hinata." Naruto threw his hands in the air. "But I am not dumb enough to buy _that_ one. Why would Sakura show up at the noodle shop on her own? Do you _really_ think that she would go sneaking around your back?" He cursed. Sakura might have spurned him once again, but that didn't change the fact that she was a teammate and a friend. He clenched his fists. It angered him when someone tried to unfairly blame a friend, even if it was another friend. "That pisses me off. She was doing you a favor, and you are trying to dump things off on her."

"B-But…." Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why was this happening to her? She hadn't done anything wrong.

"Sakura's a really nice girl. If you can't be a good friend to someone like her, maybe you can't be a good friend to me either." With that, Naruto turned and vanished.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The sun had begun to go down, painting the area with a beautiful palette of hues.

Naruto limped down the path, still holding his abdomen. Sakura followed closely behind him, her face just as ferocious looking as it had been when she punched him.

"She had better be there, Naruto!" Sakura said. She had finally tracked him down after he had already run across Hinata. Her 'Inner Sakara' was still cursing, after he had told her the things he said to their friend.

"Why are you so angry at me, Sakura-chan" Naruto wrinkled up his brow. He could accept his own anger towards himself, even though he had been operating under a misconception. But, Sakura had been the one who had been acting so damn sneaky. "I'm going to apologize, you know. You owe both her and me an apology."

"_What!"_ Sakura was feeling too guilty to take too much offense at Naruto's placement of blame. After all, she had walked into the Happy Crab feeling all puffed up and proud, as if she was going to perform some great feat or service. She had been so caught up in things, that she ignored Hinata's earlier pleas. "Oh, just be quiet." She looked this way and that, checking out the various paths that led away from the practice areas. "Maybe she's still practicing," Sakura said, crossing her fingers. "She does that sometimes, when she's really upset."

"Well, if she's practicing Byakugan, she might know that we're coming. And, I can't think of two people that she would want to see any less at the moment" He said that with the beginnings of a snarl. He couldn't believe what an idiot he had been. How could he have doubted Hinata? When had she _ever_ done anything even the slightest bit dishonest? Well, she had offered to let him cheat off of her paper during the Chuunin exam…

When Naruto took to the tree tops, intent on a stealthy approach, Sakura decided to take a different tack. If her apology didn't reach Hinata's ears before her friend knew she was there, the other girl might rush off.

"**Hinata,"** Sakura shouted. **"Hinata, I'm _really_ sorry."** She stopped, listening for any kind of signal that Naruto might send. **"Hinata, I was only trying to help."** Still no reply, and no word from Naruto. **"Hinata… _please_… I didn't mean to hurt you…"**

The sound of a large songbird echoes through the forest. That was Naruto's signal. Sakura flashed away as quickly as she could, headed to the source of that sound. When she arrived at the clearing, she found Naruto on his knees, a blazing stick held in one hand. He was examining the ground. At one side, he carried a weapons bag that she had seen before. It was Hinata's.

"Search the area!" Naruto's voice was gruff. Sakura had rarely heard him sound like that. "There's been some kind of struggle here. Things look different than when I spoke to her earlier." With an angry gesture, he performed _Katon, Goukakyuu no Jutsu_, throwing fire at a number of small isolated trees. "Shit!" The plant life caught fire, sending an orange flickering light around the open area. Sakura was worried that the crackling fires might spread, causing a dangerous forest fire. But, Naruto had selected his targets wisely, despite his obvious hurry.

There were a number of footprints of different sizes in the soft dirt. Shuriken were embedded in a number of trees, their metal pattern indicating that they had been crafted in Konoha. A single kunai lay in the open, near a bush that looked like it had been damaged during a struggle of some sort.

"**Naruto!"** Sakura held up the weapon. "It's not one of ours!" She brought it close to one of the fires, looking for telltale engravings or marks. _"The Cloud!"_

"Damn!" There was a loud explosion following Naruto's response. A large tree fell over slowly, impacting the ground with a tremendous noise. The angry ninja had broken it clean through with Rasengan. _"Bastards!"_ A second tree fell, even larger than the first. "Once was enough!"

Sakura was grateful that Naruto hadn't uses that jutsu on _her,_ after she had sent him through the wall of the restaurant that he and the other guys had been sitting in. Even as strong as she was now, the chance of surviving such a blow was not great.

"You know the story, _right?"_ Naruto asked, looking very determined. He was referring to Hinata's history, and the time she had been the target of a kidnapping plot as a child. "You have the evidence that Old Lady Tsunade will need." He hooked one thumb through a belt loop." You go tell her what happened. I'll go bring Hinata back!"

"No! You don't know how many there are!" Sakura realized that she was talking to herself. Naruto had disappeared in the blink of an eye. She would need to yell, if she wanted him to hear her. "**NO, NARUTO!** **YOU SHOULD WAIT** **FOR THE ANBU. IT WON'T TAKE TOO LONG!** " She trembled, her anxiety level skyrocketing. That idiot! This was a good way to get himself killed. That wouldn't help Hinata, _would_ it? No wonder Kakashi kept trying to instill a sense of patience in him.

There was no time to waste. She needed to alert the Hokage and any jounin she came across on the way.

If her conscience had been bothering her before….


	2. two

The forest was too dark.

_There was no way for Naruto to follow any trail in the conventional manner._

When he was a sufficient distance away from Sakura, he crouched down on the ground and closed his eyes. Since this wasn't an immediate life or death situation, he needed to go begging, so to speak.

**He hated this!**

Soon, he was walking through the long empty corridors that he imagined within his mind. His steps echoes everywhere, the sound carrying down branching corridors that led to who knows where.

_It would be around the next bend, so to speak. He could feel it_.

The bars were there. Just like they had been every time before. The strong musty odor was there as well, almost making him gag. Why did his imagination have to be this detailed?

"**_SO-O-O-O_** ," a might voice rumbled. "**THE INSECT HAS RETURNED ONCE** **AGAIN**."

Naruto was about to tell Kyuubi to take his 'insect' and shove it up his furry ass. But, he remembered what happened the last time he had acted too rashly. Nine Tails had withheld his chakra until the last moment.

**They both had nearly died.**

Nonetheless, Kyuubi expected some kind of spirited response. That was one of the few things that the great demon seemed to like about his host.

"I'm going to need _a lot _of chakra soon, bastard fox." He walked over to stand by the bars, looking up at a huge eye and frightful slavering jaws. "At least I hope I will."

"**IT WILL BE ANOTHER FIGHT, THEN?**" There was a pause. "**OVER A** **FEMALE?**" Another pause. "**BUT NOT A MATE.** "

"Huh?" Naruto's hands twitched.

_When the demon's resumed speaking, its voice was even harsher than before._

"**WHY SHOULD I ENCOURAGE SUCH IDIOCY?**"

"You don't need to encourage it. I'm going any way, stupid fox. You ought to know my Ninja way by now!" Naruto clenched his hands into fists. "If you haven't grown tired of living, maybe you can spare some of your f-cking power." Well, _that_ was smooth….

_The spectral laugh that followed had Naruto scowling._

"**IT IS _MY_ FAULT, I SUPPOSE. I LET YOU APPROACH ME THAT ONE TIME, SO YOU COME TO TAKE THINGS FOR GRANTED EVER SINCE.** "

Huge claws suddenly came slamming down through the bars, two of them surrounding Naruto. They squeezed together some, prevented from going any further. Naruto stayed still, without jumping.

His eyes narrowing, he took out a cloth and began polishing one great nail.

"That's better. Even an ugly demon fox should try to look his best. Not that you will be having a date any time soon." He spat on the claw and began buffing it some more. He put his hands on his hips when the razor-sharp claw withdrew.

A loud rumbling noise filled the corridor. Naruto stood his ground, staying silent for now.

"**I**…… **WISH**…… **I**…… **COULD**…… **EAT**…… **YOU**…."

"Uh huh. The feeling is mutual. If they could fit you on top of a bowl of noodles, you would be history." Naruto stuck his chin out. If he was going to be rejected, he would be rejected on his terms.

He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. Kyuubi's chakra wasn't necessary for the one method he had in mind, but it could use up a lot of his own energy. And, the jutsu would not work as well.

"**AHHH. SO YOU WILL USE THAT FORM AGAIN. IT SUITS US BETTER**."

Naruto frowned. He did not like the 'us' business. But, he would hold his tongue. Soon, he could feel the telltale warmth that heralded the release of the youma's chakra.

_Yes! Success! Now to pull out quickly, before he had to hear anything else from the demon._

When Naruto found himself back in his usual state, he worked a complex series of hand seals. There was a strange tingling sensation all over his body, as he changed form. When the jutsu was complete, a large orange wolf stood where he once had. The long sweeping tail was blonde.

The huge canine figure howled, then began sniffing at the ground. When Naruto had the scent he wanted, he took off running, sending every small creature in the area scampering for cover.

This was not a simple _Henge_. The young shinobi did **_not_** simply take on the form of a wolf. He _was_ a wolf, more or less. It had been a difficult technique to learn, and had required him to capture just such an animal. But, the abilities it offered him made the bite scars on his arms worthwhile.

He would find Hinata. There was no doubt about it. The only question was when, and whether or not she was alive and unharmed.

This was his fault. He would make things up to her, even if it cost him his life.

Someone was going to pay.

_Big time!_

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

The shadowy figures moved quickly, their mission a success.

Six skilled ninjas darted from tree to tree, doing their best to avoid leaving a trail.

One form carried a large bundle over his shoulder. After covering a few leagues, he signaled for the others to wait. He needed to take a brief breather.

_And, it was someone else's turn to carry the girl._

"Better unwrap her. If she suffocates, the Hero will have our asses on a spit!" The smallest of the group took a piece of dried meat from his pouch, took a bite, then passed it around.

"Alright," the one ninja said in a sour tone of voice. He threw the large bundle to the ground roughly. Hinata had given him a nasty shot to the gut before she was subdued. _"Here!" _Pulling hard on one end of a blanket, he unrolled the small girl and smiled as she came to a stop by striking a tree stump. "**Bitch!**"

"Yeh. She doesn't _look_ like much," a tall nasty looking character commented. "But she sure put up a good fight!" he looked over at the one shinobi. "She kicked your ass something awful, **_didn't_** she?"

"Shut up you ugly son of a whore!" The wounded man advanced on the other, until the leader of the squad held the tow apart. "I wasn't the **_only _**one who took a couple of good blows!"

"_Enough fighting, you idiots!" _the leader spoke in an aggravated tone. "We're not safe yet, by any stretch of the imagination." He walked over and looked down at Hinata, seeing that she was still too groggy to mount any kind of resistance. "Why are you geniuses so surprised? Didn't I _tell _you the Blood Limit was special. Why do you think we came all this way?"

"Whatever!" A different ninja said. "I'm happy that we could frame the _Cloud_ in the process. My brother died fighting those bastards, a few years back." He spat. "I hope the idiots in the _Leaf _decide to attack the whole bunch of assholes."

"That works for me," another added. "I just wish we had the opportunity to kill some of those Leaf pricks before we left. I fought one before…… that damn Copy Ninja Kakashi……. when we were allied to the _Sound. _That motherf-cker cost me my eye."

"It still seems a bit strange though. The _Leaf _were our allies before… they did us a great favor once…" The one ninja was talked down quickly after speaking.

"Things change. The Sound saw to that. Now we're against _**them**_ too. If the leaders tell us to kick _Leaf _ass…… we kick _Leaf _ass…"

"Shit! It probably wouldn't be worth the effort," the final shinobi said. "They have a woman Hokage! Hell, they probably all fight in dresses!" That joke had the hole group guffawing.

"It would probably be better to have no Kage at all, like _us!" _The large ninja said, nodding his head. "The Hero of the Hidden Falls is as good as _any_ leader."

"That's true…… but that's _**not** _why you're saying that!" The smallest shinobi said. "It's because he's your _uncle!"_

"And because he gave each of us some of the water from the Great Tree." The leader added.

"Yeh. _Great. _Does any of us **_really _**want to drink the Hero Water?" One ninja shook his head. "Sure, it would be great to have ten times our normal chakra. But, the price is so high. It will burn away too much of our life energy."

"We do what we **_have_** to do," the leader said. "It's not all that different than using Konoha's _Lotus _technique, other than the price our bodies would pay. In any case, this is for the Hidden Waterfall Village. What _other _options do we have, unless we want to be the lapdog of any Nation that comes along. They all want to steal our secrets, _any way!"_

"_Shhhhhhh! _The little shit may still be paralyzed, but she's _awake!" _One ninja smacked a large sap against his hand, thinking it might be good to knock their captive out.

"Relax," the tall ugly ninja said with a laugh. "_Who's_ she going to tell? Nobody will be getting her away from us. And, once we get her back to the village, she won't **_ever _**leave."

**Ahhhhroooooooooooooooo-ooooooooo-oooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o**

"What the hell was that?" One ninja asked, taking up a defensive stance. "Was that a wolf, or some kind of signal?"

The leader stood silently a moment, staring off into the darkness. "Who knows, for sure. We're almost to the boats. Rest time is over. We will move as quickly as we can." he looked in the direction of the stream they were following. "Move through the water. If we are being tracked, let's throw off the enemy!"

The large ninja roughly bundled Hinata back up again. After she was thrown over his shoulder, the shinobi headed out.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

It was dark.

Dark, warm, and painfully confining.

Hinata wished that she could do something. **_Anything. _**But she had been struck by some kind of technique that had left her paralyzed.

_The rhythmic twitching of her muscles suggested that the jutsu might be wearing off._

As she bounced along painfully, she couldn't help but think back to the time she had almost been kidnapped as a child. She had managed to survive that attempt, because of her father. But, because of the politics of the time, the plot by the _Cloud_ had cost the _Leaf _her uncle.

Saddened as she was by Naruto's earlier comments, Hinata wondered if she wanted to be rescued again. If it cost someone else their life, maybe it was best if she simply disappeared. Who would really miss her, anyway?

No.

**That was the wrong attitude.**

Even when things look dark, they can turn around. After all, Naruto's fight with Neji had led to so many changes in her life, even more than her own fight with her cousin had.

Things may look pretty grim, but _that_ could change too. She hadn't asked Sakura to approach Naruto. That was the truth. All she needed to do was convince Naruto, if he would ever be willing to listen to her.

_She was putting the cart before the horse._

Her arms and legs all hurt something fierce. The fight she had put up was rather furious, catching her kidnappers by surprise. But, eventually, they had been able to overwhelm her with numbers. Not to mention, they were all adept fighters, with powerful jutsu.

**It would take a strong force to stop these desperate men.**

"It shouldn't be too much longer. There's that lightning-struck tree. When we reach the boats, throw our prize in the nearest one, the shove off. They won't have a snowball's chance in hell of catching us once we're on the water!"

Hinata swallowed hard.

It sounded as if she was nearly out of time. Those men must have planned things very carefully. They had waited until she was alone, and had struck when it was becoming dark. She could imagine how daunting a task it would be to track a determined foe at night, when the enemy had a sizeable head start.

"I should have gone home," she whispered to herself.

But, there was no guarantee that she would have gotten out of the forest even if she _had_ headed back in. Not only that, but the enemy shinobi had no doubt been prepared to wait a number of days until the right situation presented itself.

The full weight of her situation began closing in on her, making the white-eyed girl feel terribly claustrophobic in a way the blanket had not. She might never return home gain, if she managed to live much longer. She might never see her family or friends again.

**She might never see Naruto again.**

It pained her terribly to thing that those might have been their parting words. More than anything, she didn't want to disappear, leaving Naruto with his last impression of her.

"Someone or something is coming. Fast! Everybody take cover!"

Hinata bit her lip. She closed her eyes and said a short prayer of deliverance.

_Did she have any reason to hope?_

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The great wolf slid to a halt.

_Large tale sweeping back and forth, the ersatz beast took note of various scents._

The enemy had stopped here. Hinata had been with them. They had taken off quickly, heading in that direction.

Padding a short distance into the darkness, Naruto howled in frustration. They were clever, those Cloud ninja. The stream. They were covering their trail. There would be no way to use his sensitive nose to track them now.

What could he do? Where he was now, he wasn't too far from the River, and that ran to the sea. If the kidnappers had boats….

**Ahhhrooooooooooooooooooo-ooooooo-oooooo-ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o**

Naruto howled. There was hope after all. There were only a few spots around here where large boats could be moored. He could reach any and all of them in no time. So, if they _did _have boats, it might be to his advantage after all.

He ran, covering ground faster than any normal wolf ever could. Even in this form, there were immense benefits to having access to Kyuubi's chakra.

'Hold on, Hinata.'

The moon was up now. It was a full moon. Perfect!

_He could use all the light he could get._

Rocketing through tall whispy stands of marsh grass, Naruto's wolf claws tossed up bits of soil. His tongue hung out one side of his lupine jaws. Eyes alert for any sign of the kidnappers, he ran through a list of techniques that he remembered from class, ones that were supposed favored by Cloud Ninjas. His animal nature thirsting for blood as well as vengeance, he began thinking of the jutsus he might best use to counter his foe.

They had chosen the wrong night. They had kidnapped the wrong person. They had pissed off the wrong ninja.

**Naruto was determined to make certain that this would be the last mistake any of them ever made.**

Danger!

Leaping, Naruto pushed off of one tree, then bounded off of the bough of another.

The path in front of him had suddenly sprouted a veritable forest of ice spikes, each bigger around than Naruto's legs in human form. Had he jumped one second later….

He wasn't out of harm's way by any stretch of the imagination. Each bough or branch he bounced off of was sheared off by razor edged gusts or wind or struck by dragon-shaped steams of water originated in the nearby stream.

'These guys are damn good!'

In the middle of a tremendous leap off of one tree top, Naruto began somersaulting, resuming his natural form in the process.

"**_OH YEH!_**"

He knew it was foolish to call attention to himself. He didn't care. He was in one of those moods.

"**OK, ASSHOLES! _PLAY TIME IS OVER! _I HOPE YOU ALL KISSED YOUR DOGS AND MOTHERS GOOD BYE!**"

Naruto wasn't a violent man. But, he felt a strong urge to hurt someone. His own gut still ached somewhat fierce from Sakura's jab. The pain in his groin hadn't gone away. His heart and mind were still in great distress from the terrible thing he had done.

"**LET THE GIRL GO, AND I'LL GO EASY ON YOU!**"

His ploy wasn't working. The enemy wasn't in any rush to give their positions way. That didn't matter. What was important was finding where Hinata was. He fervently hoped that his opponents hadn't done something clever, like split into more than one group.

There was no doubt in his mind. He would be Hinata's only hope.

"So be it!"


	3. three

The lights of the village were on.

The tall utility lights bathed the streets with a harsh actinic glow, while smaller shop lights and porch lamps added a softer more rustic look.

A fair number of people were out and about, seeing to their duty, running personal errands, or heading to their evening meals. A number of civic workers were busy stringing colorful lanterns, in preparation to a coming festival. Colored globes went on and off, as the men checked and rechecked electrical connections.

As she hurried along, Sakura paid little attention to the lights. She kept picturing Hinata in the grasp of kidnappers, dragged through the darkness, Naruto rushing after them on his own.

_The symbolism teased at her subconscious. _

She had wanted to bring a little brightness into Hinata's drab-seeming life.

**Instead….**

"Slow down girl, what's the hurry!" Ten Ten stepped out to block Sakura's path. Ino was with her. So were Anko and Kurenai.

"She _probably _heard there was a one night sale on beauty products," Ino quipped. "She needs to buy as much as she can carry!"

"Our plan backfired," Sakura said to Ten Ten and Ino, her chest heaving. "Naruto got upset, and blamed Hinata. She stayed late to practice, and was abducted by the Cloud. We went to apologize, but found her gone. Naruto has gone after them on his own!"

"That's **_not_** funny," Kurenai said, scowling.

Sakura threw the kunai at the jounin's feet. "_I'm not joking. _I need to find Tsunade. Then I need to find Kakashi."

"Go, then!" Anko said, her face a study in anger and anticipation. "I'll notify the ANBU squads, so they'll be ready when we get the order." She was gone before anyone knew it.

"I'll look for Tsunade at her administrative office. You check the medical center! Ten Ten, you should inform Neji and Hinata's family." Kurenai vanished as well, soon followed by Sakura.

As Sakura ran up the street leading to the hospital facilities, she heard a familiar voice.

"Yo, Sakura…."

"**_Kakashi-sensei! _**The Cloud has kidnapped Hinata. Naruto has gone after them!" Sakura held her fists clenched, holding back tears. Their team had already lost Sasuke.

_She couldn't bear it if something happened to Naruto, too._

"**WHAT!**" The Copy Ninja put away his book and jumped down off of the roof he had been perched on. "When and where?"

Sakura gave him a quick rundown.

"It doesn't make any sense. The Cloud had just asked to re-open diplomatic negotiations. But that is a matter for the Hokage and the Elders to deal with." The masked shinobi took out a long scroll and tossed it to the ground, watching as it unrolled. Biting his thumb, he performed a summoning jutsu. "You report to Tsunade. We will try to pick up the trail. Pakkun will stay with you."

For a moment, Kakashi stood surrounded by a large group of dogs, each a separate breed and different size. As Sakura looked down at a familiar pug, her mentor and the other dogs disappeared.

"Come on," Sakura said. "Naruto is in trouble." She ran on her way.

"This is news?" Pakkun asked as he kept up with the pink-haired girl. "_Ahhh_. That fruity aroma. You **_still_** use the same shampoo that I do!"

Sakura ignored the dog as she burst in through the doors of the main hospital building. Taking the stairs to one side, she nearly knocked over a group of fellow medical ninjas.

"_Sakura! _Slow down! We switched duty tonight, _remember_…." It was Shizune, carrying a stack of charts.

"No time! Naruto's in trouble. Hinata was kidnapped. Is Tsunade here?" Sakura was trembling. She was anxious to pass along her information, but dreaded having to face the Hokage in this situation.

"Y-Yes…." Shizune looked shocked. "She's in a meeting. She left word that she shouldn't be disturbed, no matter what."

Sakura flashed away, leaving doors swinging as she darted down one corridor after another. Stopping at the door to Tsunade's rooms, she knocked loudly.

**There was no answer.**

"_Emergency," _she shouted, banging on the doors again. Paint flaked off of the door frame, and the thick oak of the door panel showed a thin hairline crack.

_"**It had better be!**"_ That was the Hokage's voice. When the door was yanked open hard, she was taken aback by the look on her apprentice's face. _"What…."_

"Hinata…… Naruto…." Sakura's throat tightened. She had to stop a moment before she could get her words out.

"_Huh!" _Another voice spoke, as someone walked to the door. "They didn't elope or something, **_did _**they?" Jiraiya walked up. He and a number of older shinobi that Sakura didn't recognize had been meeting with Tsunade. "Just what has _Kakashi _been teaching that boy?"

No one had time to be incredulous at the Legendary Sannin's remark.

"Is she there?" It was Kurenai, catching sight of Sakura from down the hall. The jounin ran to join the others.

"Hinata was kidnapped. Naruto and I discovered that, and he went after her. We didn't know how many, but it appears they are from the _Cloud_." Sakura showed them the kunei. Anko went to put ANBU on alert. Kakashi and his dogs went to hunt for their trail. I…… I…… I…."

Sakura surprised Tsunade, throwing herself on the older woman and began sobbing.

"Hey, **_I'll_** comfort the girl," Jiraiya said, smirking. But, the humor in his eyes vanished immediately after he spoke. In a serious voice, he added "You do what a Hokage has to do. _I'm_ heading out after the boy. In the wrong hands, he could be an even bigger prize than the girl." He picked up Pakkun by his ruff. "The dog will lead me."

As the pug bent around to chomp on the hermit, the scruffy Sennin growled and said "If you bite me, I will bite you back **_twice _**as hard."

_The dog put on a big smile, drops of sweat forming at his temples._

As Jiraiya left the room, Pakkun's voice could be heard.

"That's a lot of hair. You could use a _new_ shampoo. I have a number of recommendations…."

After Tsunade apologized to the other men she had been conferring with, and had issued the necessary orders, she told Sakura to sit in a chair near her desk. She suspected that there was more to the story.

Sakura told the full tale, her head hung. She spoke very quickly, wanting to join the others.

"You committed no crime, Sakura. When I was younger, I might have done the same thing." Tsuande sighed. It was one more problem she had to deal with, but this one was extremely personal. She had lost Dan and her brother. She didn't want to lose Naruto too. "If you want to join the others, I suggest you hurry. Hopefully they will have found some way to track the enemy."

"Mam." Sakura took off running.

_The Hokage buried her face in her hands. She sighed long and deep._

"Spring…."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The bundle fell to the ground with a sodden _'thwock!'_

Pain jolted through Hinata, as the impact with a jagged rock was only partially blunted by the thick fabric.

"How many is it!" One Waterfall ninja called out. "What are they doing?"

Hinata had recognized the earlier voice. It had been Naruto. She wondered if he had come alone, or with others. It would be just like him to risk his life for a fellow shinobi, even if he was upset with her.

_But, it would also be like him to rush into a dangerous situation he had little chance of surviving_.

She had to help him.

**But how?**

"Maybe…." She whispered to herself, thinking things through. It _might_ just work.

Even wrapped in the blanket, Hinata could hear the sound of distant detonations.

"Shit! They're attacking the boats!" Another Waterfall shinobi shouted. "_Stop them! _If we lose _those_…."

Rocking back and forth, Hinata tried to roll across the ground. No one moved to stop her. She had enough strength to do that, and seemed to have enough chakra to do a good deal more. Unfortunately, she couldn't tell which direction would cause the blanket to unwind.

"I have to guess…." The white-eyed girl muttered. She would probably get only one chance before someone figured out what she wanted to do.

By the sound of things, her captives were being kept busy. If more than one Leaf ninja was in the area, someone might be able to free her while the kidnappers tried to preserve their means of transportation.

"There's only one! We have only seen one. _It's a damn kid_. He's not even wearing a chuunin's vest! This **_shouldn't_** take much longer." The voice sounded strong and confident. "I'll stay and keep an eye on the girl."

Hinata knew that she should wait until she was unwatched. But, if Naruto was alone, he didn't stand a chance. If she managed to escape, she should keep running, following the stream in the other direction. That would draw the kidnappers away from Naruto.

If they didn't realize she was gone, there would be a chance for her to get away, ruining their plot. That would be the sensible and responsible thing to do. But, it would mean leaving Naruto alone against those men.

No.

**She wouldn't do that, no matter what he had said to her.**

It was now or never! Should she choose left or right? Left? Right? Which?

"Left…… _Kaiten_…."

Ingenuity paid off. The spinning jutsu caused Hinata to roll out of the blanket. She had no time to savor the fresh air or the caress of the breeze on her face. Moving immediately from Kaiten to Byakugan, she located her adversary.

"What the f-ck…." The Waterfall ninja exclaimed. "**THE GIRL IS LOOSE!**" After shouting, the large man moved to subdue Hinata on his own. "_Ahhhh_…." He stumbled backward, struck along the torso by a number of thrown shuriken.

The captors had wisely removed Hinata's weapons pouch, but didn't realize that she kept a brace of throwing stars on the inside of her coat's belt.

"**_NARUTO-KUN! _**"

It was _not_ a call for help. It was the one thing that Hinata could cry out as a battle cry. The timid girl with a sweet trusty personality was put on ice for now.

_She was a shinobi of the Leaf._

The wounded warrior had expected his quarry to make a run for it. He was sorely mistaken. Faced by many opponents, Hinata had not be able to bring the brunt of her clan skills to the fore. Now, she had a chance to see just how much she had learned from Neji and her father.

The white-eyed girl chose to use _Hakkeshou, Rokujuu Yonshou_. Combined with the Byakugan so many nations lusted after, her graceful movements of the Gentle Fist allowed attacks on some of the three hundred and sixty-one _tenketsu. _First, two points, quickly followed by two more……then four more…… and then eight….

"**Damn-n-n-n-n**…." Her opponent stumbled backward, unable to complete his own hand seals. He already felt weaker, but still had control of his chakra. "You will _pay_ for that." Making a rash decision, he pulled the stopper out of a bottle using his teeth. Leaping up to a tree branch, he quaffed down the Hero Water.

Enough of his Inner Coil system was working to make him an exceedingly formal foe. He knew that he could not let Hinata make the final two series of attacks.

Hinata had heard the men talking about the water. She began to sweat some. Not just because she was worried about herself, but because she could also imagine Naruto facing multiple enemies with tremendous chakra.

"**NARUTO-KUN, THEY ARE _NOT_ CLOUD! **" She shouted as she ran back to gain separation, on the look-out for other enemies. "**_WATERFALL! _AND THEY ALL HAVE HERO WATER!**"

The air around her suddenly felt more chill than usual. She could feel a sheen of moisture on her skin. Before she realized what was going on, she was surrounded by a huge area of mist, unable to make out her surroundings.

Hinata moved quickly, but the clinging mist followed, as the unseen enemy kept pace. Only the splashing of water told her that she was at the stream, one foot sinking in a deep area of sucking mud.

"_**My turn**!_" The Waterfall ninja attacked with a multitude of clones, all made from water. He had to be careful, not wanting to kill his former prisoner.

Using Kaiten again, Hinata destroyed the copies, but fell to one knee in the swift moving water. She still didn't have full use of her chakra, and she had already used up some in her attack.

When the girl's spinning stopped, her foe struck again, barely missing with _Suiton, Suiryuudan _no Jutsu. Falling backwards, Hinata splashed into the water, hitting her back on a number of small stones. Able to stand quickly, then flash away, she was struck by the fringe of _Suiton, Daibakufu no Jutsu, _the Great Waterfall Technique.

Hinata knew she needed to mount an offensive effort, or she was done for. She cursed her lack of a water technique, and chose fire instead.

_It would use up a fair amount of energy, but she needed to create an opening, if only to run._

Finding her adversary with Byakugan, she worked her seals and struck with _Katon, Karyuu Endan._The huge wall of fire made contact with the wary man, singing him some and causing him to roll through the water to extinguish the flames sprouting from his clothes.

His action was not merely designed to prevent series burns, but also brought him closer to Hinata.

"Got you!" His loud laugher was well-deserved. With deft movements of his hands, he worked _Suirou no Jutsu, _forming a strong bubble-like Water Prison around Hinata. "Now it's up to my friends to kill your young rescuer."

Hinata struggled, but couldn't escape. She had failed. Naruto was on his own now. And she was still in the grasp of the enemy.

"I'm sorry…… Naruto-kun…."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The blow was a tremendous one.

It might be the last close in attack Naruto could get in, now that he had given a good indication of his strength.

A huge cedar cracked straight up the middle from the blow of a Kyuubi-enhanced Rasengan. The man who had been driven into the tree suffered a similar fate, crushed rather than split.

The Waterfall shinobi had not expected Naruto to leave the boats, or to be able to move that swiftly. No more than two gulps of Hero Water had passed his lips before he discovered his error the hard way.

Two of four long wooden craft lay splintered or in flames. Two still remained. Now that he was effectively surrounded, there was no way for the young ninja to resume his actions without being overwhelmed.

**But, Konoha's number one unpredictable ninja came by that title honestly. **

His move had been met by a counter-move. But, he thought of a counter-counter-move. Biting his thumb, he worked seals and slapped his hand against the soil, just as a veritable hail storm of ice shuriken descended on his position.

"Shit!"

He was struck by some of the nasty edged weapons, just as he tumbled and did a strong handspring. Those bastards were good, and they worked well as a team. A moment later, he was stuck in a large web of ice formed between two closely spaced trees.

"_OYABUN!"_

His call for help was answered as a huge tongue zipped into view, wrapped around him, then pulled him to safety just as a tremendous sword blade of windborne cut the two trees in half at neck level.

Gama Bunta stood in the dark stretch of forest, forcing much of the water out of the stream with his great bulk.

"**_HA! _I SEE YOU HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN SWALLOW. THAT IS NO SURPRISE.**"

The great rumbling voice was a comfort to Naruto as he was paced on the giant frog's back.

"You can't see those bastards in the dark, Oyabun. I will fight with them. But, I need the two boats destroyed!" Naruto was about to leap down and attack again, but took a moment to think. "Boss…… can you give me a lot of oil?"

"**OF COURSE!**"

Gama-Bunta's cheeks swelled tremendously. At Naruto's signal, he belched forth a massive gusher of oily substance.

"_Oyabun! _On the boats. And then the shore, but not too far to the right!" Naruto had heard Hinata's calls. He didn't want to flambé the one he had come to save.

"**_AHHHHHHH! _I CANNOT SIT STILL!**"

Gama-Bunta took a monstrous leap, causing Naruto to hold on for dear life. By concerted effort, the Waterfall ninjas had created a porcupine-like structure of ice underneath the boss amphibian.

In mid flight, Naruto cursed. This was going to be a difficult fight. He might well be seriously outmatched. His anger merging with Nine Tail's tail-like streamers of energy, his teeth and nails elongated and his vision changed, becoming sharper.

"_THANKS BOSS!"_

He knew that Gama-Bunta was at a severe disadvantage here, despite his size and power. The great frog had done enough. With the small boats destroyed, the enemy would have a difficult time reaching the larger ship they must have secreted away somewhere closer to the sea.

**The scene below looked like a painting of Hell. **

Huge flames ran up and down large trees. Clumps of grass burned swiftly. Greedy flames spread from low vegetation to taller bushes.

As Gama-Bunta disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke, Naruto bounced from one burning tree to another, pulling water with him to create rapidly diminishing shields.

Landing on a pristine swath of reeds at the edge of the water, he clenched his teeth and concentrated. He hoped that Kyuubi was in a generous mood.

"Bastard fox, I need a lot now. You can build it back up again later, **_if_** we survive this!" It would be risky, but he wanted to try the next level in his evolution of the Kage Bunshin. If he timed things wrong, his body could be destroyed by more chakra than any human could possibly hope to channel, much less manipulate.

_Naruto began working a continuous series of complex hand seals, praying that the enemy did not locate his position until he was finished_.

Shadow clones began appearing, one at time, not as a whole countless mass. Each copy was given a huge amount of chakra, and instructed to use one of the various jutsu that Naruto was adept at. Then, they were sent out independently and in groups, instructed to cause as much havoc as they could.

"You bastards were allies once. I fought as a friend. You won't like me as an enemy…."

He would go forth amongst the enemy, death in his hands. This would be _all or nothing. _He would take them **_all_** out, or there would be **_nothing_** left of him when they were through with him.

If he died, Hinata would never see home again. He would not allow that to happen.

_Not after what he had said to her._

"It's my Ninja Way…."


	4. four

The darkness did indeed obscure all possible visual clues to a trail.

Were it not for Naruto's and Sakura's timely discovery, the kidnappers would have been gone long before any effective response could have been mounted.

Skill, training, and determination are the backbone of the Leaf; but, sometimes luck plays the biggest role of all. Kakashi was not pondering that as he and his canine companions scoured the forest, since he had no knowledge of the events that prompted his two teammates to visit the site of the abduction.

He was worried for Hinata, as she was a ninja from his village, and had had dedicated herself fully to the cause, _despite_ the difficulties she had faced in her life. Most of all, however, he was concerned for Naruto.

The boy had come back to Konoha taller in stature, and **_much _**stronger in ability. But, while he was developing a much keener tactical mind, he remained impulsive. Even the strongest shinobi could be at a severe disadvantage alone…… at night…… against a well coordinated and desperate group of enemies.

Soon after one of the dogs found a strong scent, Kakashi felt a strong sense of presence.

_Someone else had arrived on the scene._

"Put me down!" It was Pakkun's voice.

A loud 'thump' was followed by the appearance of Jiraiya, his horned forehead protector and broad outline making him seem almost demonic in the spotty moonlight.

"**Yo!**" The Sannin said to Kakashi. "Do folks a favor _next time_. Strap a muzzle to that dog's back. I **would** have given you a free copy of the next Icha Icha if I didn't have to listen to him talk. If I hear the words, _shampoo, conditioner, revitalize, _or _natural beauty, _I will kill someone."

Kakashi looked down at Pakkun, who ran to join the other dogs.

"Do we have a trail?" The older man asked.

"I _believe_ so. We were about to leave markers, then head out." Kakashi dropped a small flare, and then notched a couple of small saplings with a blade. "It would be a good idea to hurry. If we wait for the others…."

"Yes," Jiraiya said grimly. "The boy is **_not_** one to wait. And, in this instance, that _might_ be appropriate. Time may well be of the essence."

Kakashi nodded. He could hear the concern in the other ninja's voice, as subtle as it was. They were _both_ very fond of Naruto. And tonight, the chain would be tested. Though the link that was Yondaime was forever gone, the Fourth's teacher was there, as was one of his pupils. Naruto had been a student of both the Copy Ninja and the Frog Hermit. The bond there could be broken only by death. None of those men would ever betray the Leaf.

"**_Lead!_**" Kakashi called out to the dogs. The canine members of the team spread out, the quickest ones following the main trail and the others making certain there were no diversionary paths.

The two men rushed along, heading for who knows what. No matter what they faced, they would give it their best. Each had been instrumental in the downfall of Akatsuki, as had the young man they raced to find. Both had the scars to prove it, and would gladly earn more, if it meant Hinata and Naruto could be rescued.

"Do you think it's truly the _Cloud _we face?" Kakashi asked, leaping from tree to tree.

"I don't know," Jiraiya answered. "But I have my doubts. There have been rumblings amongst my sources, some of whom caught whispers of a plot. The source was further West, but could not be pinpointed. There had been no mention of a possible target."

"We should make efforts to take a prisoner, then?" The Copy Ninja was thinking many steps ahead.

"That might indeed be wise." Jiraiya's voice was full of life, but there was a sharp edge to it. "_You_ do it if you like. I'm **_not_** in the mood." The finality in his voice carried with it the sound of a crypt closing.

_One of the dogs came to report to Kakashi._

"What did it say?" Jiraiya asked.

"They have picked up the scent of a wolf, trailing after the adversary. That scent is the strongest of all. I told them to concentrate on _it, _sparing a couple of dogs to follow the other scents independently. I think we **_both_** know that wolf." Kakashi jumped to the ground as they left the wooded area.

"Yes," Jiraiya laughed. "To think I made fun of him when he developed that jutsu. I told him that wolves were scarce in these lands, but at least that gave him a chance to find a mate before he died!" The large man laughed again, his joviality only partially covering up his concern. "He was none too pleased, as you can imagine."

"It _does_ open up interesting possibilities _doesn't _it? Perhaps there will be a new _Icha Icha _book on interspecies dating?" Kakashi wasn't one to laugh, but he was grinning.

"You're a bad man, Kakashi." Jiraiya said as he ran. "I'm glad to see it. The boy shows promise as well. I don't know _where_ I failed with the Fourth."

The major work done by Naruto, the dogs were able to cover ground at a phenomenal rate. The two shinobi had hope that they might arrive in time. But they both realized where the trail was headed. They knew the area. If the enemy had water craft, or could summon large amphibian or reptilian creatures….

There was nothing any of them could do about that as they ran. Everyone's hopes rested on Naruto in that regard.

_Time would tell._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

The moonlight refracted through the barrier of the Water prison in strange fashion, making it difficult to see images clearly.

Hinata had banged against the pliable wall of water, with no effect. It was hard to move at all. She had also tried her trick with Kaiten, but had merely ended up dizzy, as the inner capsule of water rotated within the outer shell.

**For a moment, she felt close to tears. **

It had been a long time since she had been this frustrated. But, that was not all. The enormity of the whole situation was a heavy enough burden, but there was the matter of her whole life to consider.

What had she really accomplished on her own? So much of her earlier efforts had been out of necessity. After that, when she saw how hard that Naruto fought against Fate, she began to do the same herself. When he left to train, she increased her own efforts, wanting to be someone he could admire.

She had driven Kurenai to distraction in her own quite unassuming way. She had trained with other jounin, learning a small number of powerful jutsu to complement her clan abilities. She had done all that, _despite_ her father and sister's amusement and uneasy acceptance.

_But, it was easy for them to limit themselves. _

The Hyuuga powers were great, and their strength was useful in defense of the family, and in fights against invaders. But neither Hanabi nor her father would ever be sent on missions beyond the general confines of Konoha. **_She_** would. So would Neji, and he had begun to follow her lead.

**Maybe she had put too many of her eggs in the same basket. **

She had spent so much time watching Naruto…… thinking about Naruto…… and dreaming about Naruto. It wasn't really fair to her. It wasn't really fair to _him._

Now, because she had gotten captured, he might die. Even if they survived, she might have to face a truth she had kept at arm's length for so long: he might **_never_** come to care about her the way she wished. Dejected, she asked herself why he ever would.

_There was no good answer._

But, the burning flame within her had been kindled by Naruto, whether he knew it or not. As depressed as she felt…… trapped, and unable to help…… Hinata **_still_** managed to keep from giving up altogether. She promised herself that she would still work hard, and still be the best she could.

She would stop obsessing on Naruto. But, that **_didn't_** mean she wouldn't have the same hopes. It simply meant that she would learn to like herself for herself.

_Who knows what that might lead to?_

Suddenly, the Water prison dissolved. As the water fell away from her, Hinata saw the reason why.

**Naruto!**

No, not him personally. _Shadow clones…_

The one copy of Naruto used _Doton, Doryo Dango _before being struck by a number of shuriken and popping out of existence. The huge chunk of dirt and stone had bounced off the water shield raised by the Waterfall ninja, causing a temporary dam in the middle of the stream.

Having let the Water prison collapse, and countering the _Doton_ attack, the enemy was unable to dodge the jutsu used by another clone. The dragon-shaped torrential blast of water _Suiton, Suiryuudan no Jutsu _knocked the man ass over teacupsNaruto had chosen to use one of the same methods that the kidnappers had. Hinata was surprised, and slightly jealous.

But, this was her opportunity. The one clone disappeared after having been struck with a powerful missile of water. The third clone never had a chance to finish its hand seals before it too vanished in the same attack. Nevertheless, their actions had given her the opening she needed.

Flashing into action, she struck sixteen more points, just as enormous columns of flame rose beyond the nearest rows of trees. They were widely spaced, away from the area that was already burning wildly.

_Was that Naruto, or more of his clones?_

"That won't be enough, child." The Waterfall ninja leaped across the stream, moving quickly through the darkness. Even with so many points blocked, the effect of the Hero Water made him a frightful foe.

Hinata moved quickly away from the water, not wanting to be caught by the _Suirou no Jutsu _again. Now she had to decide whether to follow her heart or her head. The latter told her to run, to get away. At a distance, she could call out to Naruto, while **_still_** having enough of a head start. Even if she didn't get away, she could buy more time. There could be more Leaf shinobi on their way.

No.

**Her heart was in control.**

Naruto had come to rescue her. She was certain of that. He was not here simply to prevent the escape of the enemy with valuable Konoha secrets. If that had been the case, he could have removed himself to a safe distance after he presumably destroyed any means of escape by water.

How could she simply trade her life for his? If either of them was more valuable to the village, it was _him_. So, there was reason to save him beyond her own feelings.

This would be a game of stealth now. She needed to stay hidden as best she could, avoiding the man she had just fought with until things were to her advantage. She would also look for Naruto, hoping to coordinate their efforts and be stronger as a whole.

She wouldn't have to look too hard to find him.

"**BASTARDS!**"

That was Naruto's shout.

Its crown showing small tongues of flame, a huge deciduous tree of some sort was falling heavily to earth. Hinata had to leap out of the way, as two more soon followed suit.

_Just what kind of power did Naruto have?_

How much chakra could he possibly have left? Her own supply was severely depleted.

"If we go down…… we go down together…… Naruto-kun…."

_Hinata ran towards the origin of her fellow ninja's voice._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

The forest was finally silent again.

For a while, it had sounded as if every branch in every tree had been lined by endless numbers of birds.

"Doesn't do a lot of good to have so much chakra, if you're _dead!"_

Naruto pulled his arm out of the chest of the Waterfall ninja he had killed, after removing from the trunk of the huge tree the man had been thrown against. It had been a perfect attack, with three clones distracting the man until just the right moment.

Not able to stand still to savor his victory, Naruto took to the trees. That made two down…… one by _Rasengan_…… and one by _Chidori._

"I have to get Kakashi a **_nice_** present," he muttered to himself, on guard against a sudden unexpected attack. His mentor had finally given in, teaching him the same technique he had taught Sasuke…… _probably just to shut him up. _

But, Naruto doubted that his teacher had ever seen _Nine Tails boosted Chidori _before. It was too noisy for an assassination technique, but boy was it powerful…… maybe even more powerful than Sasuke's curse seal enhanced version.

The young ninja put a hand to his side, grimacing. He **_hated _**being grateful to that damn fox, but he certainly owed a debt to Kyuubi. Just as the demon's chakra had helped him recover from his former teammate's Chidori thrust, it was healing a new puncture wound with equal aplomb.

Naruto had taken a huge spar of ice deep into his flank. He had almost died, then and there. Anyone else would probably have been a candidate for a pine box and a spot on the Konoha memorial.

"I've got to slow down," he told himself. There would be no way that he was going to use his version of Chidori again, especially not after using multiple Rasengan. No matter how much energy the youma might grant him, his body still became stressed and strained by the use of such energy.

Hand against a bending branch, he swallowed hard and clenched his teeth, fighting to stay conscious.

**That was the third time he had come close to passing out.**

The problem was, he really couldn't _afford_ to slow down. There was no way to judge just how good his opponents might have been without the Hero Water; but with it, they were no doubt a serious opponent for the best that the Leaf had, not to mention a young man with a demon in his belly. He had been very fortunate so far.

_It was only a matter of time until they wore him down and took him out._

He had killed two men, and may have injured one or two others. At least he **_hoped_** so. If he was lucky, at least one of them had been singed by his repeated use of flame techniques. And, there was no way to tell if anyone had been seriously wounded by the clones he had sent out, most of whom had been given earth, water, or wind jutsu.

"**Shit!**"

He had to move, fast.

A huge roaring noise filled the air. A frothy stream of water actually flowed up along the massive tree he perched in, looking like a glittering tube-shaped river in the moonlight. Jumping, he was pushed awkwardly away as the leading edge of the geyser-like attack struck his leg.

Crashing through clustered branches, he managed to create a chain of clones, sparing himself a tragic impact with the ground, which had suddenly sprouted an enormous number of ice needles.

"Naruto-kun…… _this way!"_

**It was Hinata! **

Performing Kaiten, she knocked away a mixed swarm of water and ice missiles that had been headed in Naruto's direction. Finished, she fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

_She was nearly exhausted._

"Hinata!"

Naruto scooped the white-eyed girl up in his arms and began running. He hated to leave a fight, but he knew what needed to be done. The Waterfall ninjas were after the girl.

"Hinata…… I'm sorry…… I was **_wrong_**…." Naruto managed to get out, shortly before his slipped and slid along a large patch of ice. As long as he had Hinata in his arms, the enemy wouldn't try to kill him. But, that didn't mean that they were stumped by any stretch of the imagination. "I was a real _jerk_…."

Hinata grunted in pain, as did Naruto. He had run full speed into a wall of ice, not long after he had regained his feet. Soon after that, a huge dragon-shaped torrent knocked him hard against a nearby tree, causing him to drop Hinata.

"Naruto-kun!"

Hinata used up the last of her chakra, performing one last Kaiten. The move was incomplete, however. Sharp _kunai-like _pieces of ice struck Naruto in numerous parts of his body, causing him to call out in pain. Before her jutsu had expired, she had noted that three enemies were closing in on their location.

"Hi-Hinata…… grab hold…… arms around my neck…… gonna **_run_**…."

With blood dripping out from between his lips, Naruto got down on all fours. Before Hinata realized what he was going to do, he was gone, replaced by a garishly-colored wolf. The animal licked her face, and she realized that it was Naruto.

'_Did that count as a kiss?' _was her crazy thought before she climbed on the wolf's back and secured herself.

Naruto took off running, moving as much by instinct as by anything else. He was in excruciating pain, and teetered on the edge of unconsciousness. He _might_ even bring himself to say express his gratitude to Kyuubi, face to face, **_if_** the bastard fox's chakra could pull him through this one.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun…." He heard Hinata say. "I was…… I was telling the truth…." Her voice was faint in the wind that Naruto's passage made. "I hope…… I hope you don't hate me…."

Naruto howled in response. Hinata didn't know what that meant, but didn't have time to ponder the point. Naruto sounded hurt. Her arms and hands were sticky with blood. She wished that she had some medical ninja skills.

Trees flashed by them, as did large outcrops of rock. One of the later exploded, sending out large fragments of granite. Hinata was struck hard in the shoulder, causing her to let go and fall hard to the ground, her breath knocked out.

Naruto veered to this side, his one leg somewhat crooked. Tumbling hard, he resumed his natural form.

Panting, with blood dripping to the moss at his feet, he looked around him. His eyes went wide before he cursed and set his jaw. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

**It looked like he was about to get a taste of his own medicine.**

Numerous copies of the one-eyed ninja surrounded him and Hinata.

This was the first time Naruto had run across someone other than Kakashi or Itachi who could use Kage Bunshin. If those were explosive clones, he was in **_big_** trouble. No. He was in big trouble _either_ way.

"Hi-Hinata……ge-get up……ma-make a run for it…… now…." He spat blood and shook his head, trying to figure what moves to make. "Don't…… ma-make this all in vain…."

He had been distracted. The clones weren't meant for him, but for Hinata. Converging on the girl, they formed a huge pile on top of her prone form.

As the moon became momentarily shrouded by clouds, Naruto turned to leap. But he was too late. In the darkness, he felt something winding its way around his legs, as numerous vine-like growths sprung up from the ground. An instant later, a large tree was sheared into pieces by saw-like blades of wind, some of which missed him as he leaned back and bent over.

Quick thinking prolonged his life. Using a technique similar to _Doton, Kekkai__Doroutoumu_he formed a dome of rock and soil over himself, blocking all but one of the chunks of tree. That one fragment struck him hard on the side of the head, bringing to his knees. That allowed the vines to climb higher. Soon, they were wrapping around his neck.

Desperately hacking away at the growths with a kunei, Naruto fully expected to have giant spears of ice end his life at any moment. Given a reprieve, he burst out of his own protective covering, ready to make his final stand.

_The reason for his good fortune was soon evident._

"**YOU!**" The one-eyed ninja shouted.

Facing the Waterfall ninja was a man he had fought before: _Hatake Kakashi._

"Free the girl," Kakashi said. "Then run with her. Jiraiya and I will cover you."

Naruto staggered forward, tripping and getting back up. His vision was blurry and his balance somewhat off.

"Ka-Ka-Kakashi…… sen-sensei…." Naruto coughed up blood, wobbling some on his feet. "Waterfall…… they…… Hero Wa-Water…."

Kakashi nodded, uncovering his sharnigan eye. He moved in on his former foe, determined to take more than an eye this time.

"**_Not good enough!_**" A loud and familiar voice called out.

Naruto saw an enemy ninja stumbling backwards, clutching at his chest. Two small trees tipped over, where the man had been running. Forming Rasengan without thinking, he gave the unfortunate man his second taste of that jutsu, this time between the shoulderblades.

_The kidnapper came close to snapping in half, having taken more damage than a body can stand to take._

"Why are there so many left," the voice called out again. "The Fourth would have had the whole bunch of them down by now!" Jiraiya stepped into view, his face a resembling a Oni mask in the moonlight.

**Naruto gave his mentor the finger.**

"Ba-Bite…… me…."

Jiraiya walked up closer, alert for attack, but concerned about Naruto. "You're out of this fight now." He pointed over to Hinata, who had made her way to her feet after the clones had popped from view." Get her…… then _get gone!"_

Naruto nodded, and then complied. Feeling some of his strength coming back, he moved as quickly as he could in Hinata's direction.

Thunderous detonations soon sounded, as Jiraiya moved in on another Waterfall ninja. Naruto couldn't tell what jutsu had been used, or who had struck first. Searching for any sign of another foe, he caught brief glimpses of a vicious struggle between Kakashi and his opponent.

His teammate was using technique after technique, benefiting from the eye that his friend Obito had left him before dying. But, the man he fought was no slouch. He had learned that himself, the hard way, back by the boats.

"Hinata! Can you run? We need to leave. _Now!" _Naruto suddenly saw the white-eyed girl point.

"Naruto-kun…… watch out!"


	5. five

_**A/N:**_

_There certainly appear to be a lot of Manga-lawyers out there._

Relax folks, and enjoy the story. It's **not** the manga or the anime, but borrows from both.

_As for the Chidori issue, in my stories I have it work as follows: Chidori is only suitable for a Sharingan user because of its speed. Normally it requires the simultaneous use of_ _Sharingan + the Chidori + Raiton to change the chakra into lightning and to push the attack home before it can be dodged or countered._

_In Naruto's case, when his senses are Kyuubi-enhanced, that uniquely bypasses the need for sharingan._

If that bothers you too much….

_And, as for another issue: "As i understand it the Hyuuga as a rule never learn any ninjutsu beyond the basic three."_

That's not how I understand it in this story.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The markings and embedded kunai were easy enough for seasoned ANBU members to follow.

Two full squads sped through the darkened forest, accompanied by Kurenai, Anko, Gai, and Asuma. None of them felt that the kidnapping was likely to be a diversion, and the Hokage had mobilized anyone readily available.

Leaping from bough to bough with the others, Sakura was still wrestling with her conscience, despite the words of encouragement that Tsunade had given her.

She might not be alone in her guilt, but no one was going to convince her that she was **_not _**guilty. _Sure, _a determined enemy could have kidnapped Hinata at **_any_** point on her walk home. But, they didn't…. they captured her where she had spoken with Naruto. And maybe she would have stayed late practicing if she hadn't been blind-sided by his comments. But, she might _not_ have.

Yes, Ten Ten and Ino had conferred with her on the plan; but, it had been **_her_** idea, and _she_ had been the one to approach Naruto. Of course, there had been no way for her to guess that Naruto would have reacted in such a manner. His response had been much greater than _anyone_ might have guessed.

"Naruto…."

**Sakura was greatly worried about him. **

He had been through _so_ much, and had changed for the better in a great many ways. She had almost found herself attracted to him, even though the two of them still fought like cats and dogs at times.

_Might he still have feelings for her? Was that why he had been so hurt? _

The medical ninja could remember how he used to pester her, when she only had eyes for Sasuke. He hadn't acted anything like that once he came back from training with Jiraiya. But, that didn't prove anything. She might never come to feel that way about him, but she knew her life would seem so much more empty if her teammate were gone.

"Hinata…."

All Sakura had wanted to do was help her quiet friend. Everyone was so fond of Hinata, and wanted her to find some happiness in her life. She had grown up under such difficult conditions, but none of them had realized that until she began opening up, after her fight with Neji.

There was **_no_** doubt how the small girl felt about Naruto. Everyone could see how her feelings for him had helped her grow in leaps and bounds, relatively speaking. But no one had _any_ confidence that she would ever open her heart to that boy.

"He is such an idiot…."

_Sakura felt tears fly away from her eyes as she ran, sparkling like pearls in the staggered rays of moonlight. _

Why did Naruto have to be so dense? Any _other_ boy would have realized that Hinata cared. Why did he have to be so rash? Running off on his own like that, he was courting death!

"There's still a chance that they'll be alright."

Kurenai had pulled in alongside the pink-haired girl. She was very much worried about Hinata, but didn't hold anything against Sakura. She told the younger girl just that.

"B-B-But you were _right_…." Sakura said, remembering the older woman's actions at the restaurant. "If we had listened to you…… if I had stopped to think…."

Someone else paralleled Sakura's course.

_It was Anko._

"Ifs are **_never_** in short supply," the dark-haired ninja said. "They never do much good though, _do_ they?" She put her hand on one shoulder. "I strayed too far once, thanks to my old teacher. I paid a heavy price for that, but I keep on going." Before flashing on ahead, she added one more comment. "Things may turn out well. Don't knock yourself around any more than you have to."

Sakura still was too upset to take everything to heart, but she was grateful to be part of the Leaf. In addition to Kurenai and Anko, one of the ANBU members took a moment to talk with her. In the moonlight, the young woman's violet hair looked like something out of a picture book or a dream.

"I was short and shy once myself," the woman said. "I was very lonely, and would have stayed that way until I truly blossomed. If my friends hadn't tricked me into going out with a boy, I would have missed a lot of special moments." Following that, she fanned out with the other masked shinobi.

"Special moments…." Sakura whispered. She hoped that Hinata and Naruto would still be able to have special moments, whether it was apart or together.

_She dreaded what they might find._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The oppressive weight was gone, once the clones had disappeared.

Hinata staggered to her feet, trying to regain her orientation. It was difficult at first, as it was dark, things were happening around her at a furious pace, and she was slightly dizzy from oxygen deprivation.

Someone was running towards her. She took up a fighting stance.

_It was Naruto. _

One arm hung limply at his side. The distorted splotchy markings on his jumpsuit suggested blood.

**There was suddenly movement behind him.**

"Hinata! Can you run? We need to leave. Now!"

She pointed.

"Naruto-kun…… watch out!"

Biting her lip, she watched without being able to help, her chakra insufficient for any of her significant jutsu. A large number of explosive kunai hit where Naruto had been standing an instant before. The bright flashes obscured her vision for a moment.

Where had they gone? Was there something she could do physically to assist Naruto?

"Hinata…… run…."

_He was over there._

Watching, Hinata gasped as Naruto quickly sunk up to his hips in the soil. Huge stones gravitated over his head, about to come crashing down and end his life. Desperately, she picked up a sharp stone fragment, preparing to throw it at the enemy and distract him.

Naruto shouted, slapped the ground with one hand, then used one arm to tear dirt and rock up like a strip of carpet. His opponent tripped, releasing the rocks he had gathered by chakra. All but one fell on either side of Naruto, but one struck him hard on the shoulder.

**Heedless of her own safety, Hinata ran at the Waterfall ninja.**

"Get out, Naruto-kun…… hurry…."

"Stupid…… meddling…… _bitch_…." The kidnapper turned to face Hinata, changing his move from a fatal one to a crippling one at the last moment. A number of rocks bowled the girl over, striking her in the legs.

Hinata slid along the ground, her face pushing up a small mound of dirt and leaves. Her legs ached with terrible pain as she pushed herself up on her arms.

"Now for **_you_**….. boy…." The man looked to be in poor shape himself. Unbeknownst to Naruto, a number of his super-charged clones had struck mighty blows on that shinobi. But, where any average jounin level fighter would have died from his wounds, _this _ninja managed to hang on, thanks to the water from the Great Tree.

Smiling, the Waterfall shinobi struck before Naruto had wriggled free of the mud that had formed under his feet. But, his aim was off, after a thrown scroll case had struck him hard in the jaw, knocking loose a pair of teeth.

A stand of trees behind Naruto fell over, struck by the attack meant for him.

"I'm too busy for _babysitting_…." It was Jiraiya's voice. The Legendary Sannin was locked in combat with the largest of the Waterfall shinobi.

"**_Damn! _**Things are falling apart!" The ninja facing Naruto and Hinata began working hand seals again, but stopped when Hinata threw herself at his legs. After brutally leg-whipping he, lifting the stunned girl off the ground with a remarkably powerful kick, he resumed his jutsu, figuring Naruto was too debilitated to strike back any more.

Gathering up his last bit of readily available chakra, Naruto brought six clones into existence. They attacked swiftly, in conventional fashion, ramming kunei into the man's back, side, and abdomen right after he had completed his seals.

_A deadly razor-sharp crescent of wind cut Naruto in half at the waist, going on to toss up huge amounts of dirt and leaves behind him._

"**NARUTO-KUN!**"

Hinata was too shocked to move hen the severely wounded Waterfall warrior turned to face her.

"We failed…." He spat. "But, I will see **_you_** dead…." He looked to repeat the jutsu he had used to finish off the boy.

Both halves of Naruto popped out of existence.

**He had changed places with a shadow clone.**

"I'll drag you down to _Hell_ first…." Naruto said, flashing into view at the enemy's side. Grabbing the man's hands for a moment, he spun him and struck with a fierce head butt, opening a new cut on his own scalp and seeing stars.

Falling, the kidnapper reached to his belt, then threw three shuriken, all of which embedded themselves in Naruto's chest. As the disoriented man attempted to work another jutsu, Hinata picked up a kunai and rammed it straight through his eye and into his brain.

"Nice one…… Hinata…." Naruto said, just before he collapsed.

Eventually, the two other fights ended in spectacular fashion. Kakashi had copied his opponent's technique, spitting him on an enormous skewer of ice. Jiraiya performed the _Jaws of the Underworld_, causing two huge rock outcrops to pivot in the soil, closing on his foe like so many giant opposing molars.

_The two battered but victorious Leaf shinobi found Hinata cradling Naruto's head in her lap._

"He's…… he's dying…."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The two men stood looking down at Naruto.

The younger ninja had taken a lot of punishment in such a short span of time.

Neither knew whether or not his _Kyuubi-driven _recuperative powers would be able to heal him enough to prevent his death. There should be medical ninjas on their trail, but there was no guarantee that they could do anything when they arrived.

_They did not want to move nary to until someone with medical training had a chance to stabilize him. But, if someone didn't arrive soon, they would have to chance it._

"He did **_very_** well," Jiraiya said with a poignant mixture of sadness and pride. "They were formidable foes." His sigh carried with years of pain. "Their loss will hurt the waterfall greatly." The tone that was spoken in clearly showed that Jiraiya was pleased by that prospect. "It was a desperate plot. Desperate and despicable."

"Yes," Kakashi said, nodding, his sharingan eye covered again. "Naruto did what he _needed_ to do, as **_any_** Leaf shinobi must. But, few of my generation could have done the same." He knelt down by the prone boy's side and felt his carotid pulse. "His heart is weakening." There was grief in his voice as well, though he was much more adept at hiding it. Carefully, he worked on the more serious wounds, using what little knowledge of the healing arts he had.

Sitting on the chill earth, Hinata tried her hardest to convince herself that Naruto would be alright. He had saved her. It wouldn't be fair for him to die now.

**Right?**

"N-N-Naruto-kun…."

Standing up, she timidly walked into the company of the two august warriors. Staring down at Naruto, tears came to her eyes. She began to tremble slightly at first, but was soon shaking something awful. Falling to her knees, she looked up at Jiraiya, praying that he would offer her some hope.

"It's…… it's _m_-my fault…." Hinata said, hanging her head. "If I had _g-g_-gone home when I _sh_-should have…."

Kakashi quietly asked Hinata to explain herself. When she was finished, he shook his head and spoke sternly. "You did nothing wrong. None of you wished for this to happen. The Hyuuga's are **_not_** hot house flowers that can be kept under glass." He ran a hand through his hair. "The very skills that make our village strong will always tempt weaker men." Cutting off the last of his bandages he had tied, he began cleaning the smaller wounds with antiseptic.

"Th-Th-Thank you…." Hinata whispered.

"He's right. You were taken against your will. There have been those with Blood Limit abilities who have willingly gone on their own. Even _they_ might be forgiven some day, under unique circumstances." Jiraiya didn't need to mention Sasuke. "What's more, you did **_not_** sit meekly by, while events unfolded around you." The Sannin pointed in the direction of the man that Hinata finished off. "If you had, Naruto might be dead now as we speak."

Hinata nodded her head.

"_Hmmmm_…." Jiraiya scowled, tugging at his unruly mop-like hair. "Don't **_I_** get a 'thank you,' too?"

"Ummm…… Th-Thank you…." Hinata reached out to touch Naruto's hand, but stopped. She folded both hands against her and closed her eyes.

**Tears fell again.**

Jiraiya looked over at Kakashi, who took out his Icha Icha book and tapped on the cover. The older ninja then rubbed his nose before speaking.

"You really care about the boy, don't you?" The Frog hermit knew that he sounded gruff; but he had a point the wanted to make. "Well, there's no accounting for taste, I guess!"

Hinata looked up, her face a mask of outrage. She bit her lip when she saw the Legendary ninja's face full in the moonlight.

_His joke was intended to cover up his own feelings._

"He may not have a lot of room in his life for **_those_** kind of things," Jiraiya said, all too cognizant of his own past at that moment. "If he lives, I fear that he will be destined for great things…… _momentous_ things." He made a gesture to Kakashi, who would address the other side of the coin.

"But, he **_may_** also need someone to care for him, more than most other people ever will. He will have heavy burdens to bear, even if he never realizes his dream to wear the tri-corner hat." The Copy Ninja sighed, knowing there were things that were Naruto's to tell, or no one's. "I would take a strong heart and endless patience to help him through _that."_

Hinata twiddled her fingers. Looking timidly up at Kakashi, she spoke haltingly.

"It…… it probably…… it probably has nothing…… nothing to do with _me_…." She looked up at the moon for a moment, swallowing hard before she spoke further. "I'm……I'm so…… I'm so shy and quiet…… and _he's_…."

**She froze a moment, realizing that she was sharing her feelings with two great men.**

"Yes…." Jiraiya said chuckling, looking fondly down at Naruto. "He certainly _is. _More than anyone else probably was. Maybe more than anyone else ever _will_ be." He stretched his arms, then cracked his knuckles. "But, while he is terribly predictable in some ways, he is also the one most likely to surprise everyone else in his choices."

Kakashi nodded, watching in wonder as some of Naruto's smaller exposed wounds began slowly healing before his eyes. He remembered the first time he noted that effect, shortly after he had vanquished the Demon Brothers.

_Jiraiya noticed as well._

What's more, he noticed Hinata watching with her mouth open. He didn't want her thinking to much about that, or getting in the habit of asking awkward questions.

"Of _course_, if you were to make the choice **_for_** him…." He grinned, seeing Hinata's eyes go wide and watching her jump slightly. "If you like, I can put in a good word for you. Or, I can order him to…."

"**_No! _**" Hinata twitched.

"You sure?" Jiraiya asked, enjoying himself despite the situation.

Hinata nodded her head rapidly, unable to speak.

"Kakashi could lend you his book…." The large man said with a huge grin on his face. "Or I can get you an autographed copy." He brushed his hands together.

Hinata shook her head. "_N_-No thank you, _S-S_-Sir."

At that point, a number of ANBU members arrived, flashing into view at various sites and at different heights amongst the surrounding trees.

Kakashi walked over to speak with the squad leader, then asked to have them all search each area that looked as if it had seen recent combat. Returning to Naruto's side, he informed them that a medical ninja would soon be on the scene. Turning, he saw that she was indeed there.

_It was Sakura._

The pink-haired girl came running to her fallen comrade's side, looking to Kakashi for answers. Jiraiya walked over to speak with the jounin that had arrived with the girl.

"**Naruto!**" Sparing a quick look at Hinata that spoke volumes, Sakura began probing her teammate's body, trying to assess the number or wounds and the level of his injuries. "_No, _Naruto." Her hands shook as she tried to make use of her strongest healing jutsu. She repeated it as many times as she could, having to be given smelling salts from her own pack when she passed out at one point.

As Sakura did what she could, Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, and Anko stood in a half circle watching. This was a very solemn moment. They had **_all _**come to respect Naruto and care for him in their own ways.

_At one point, they all looked at one another when Sakura began sobbing in frustration._

"I can't save him…." She pounded the ground with her fists. "Not here…… not like this…." She struck a tree behind her, causing it to crack and tilt precariously. "I've done everything I know how to do…… he needs to get back to the medical center…."

"Then let's go," Jiraiya said, lifting Naruto's body in his arms. "It takes too much work to teach the jutsu I gave him. I don't have it in me to do it again. We'll need to make certain he stays alive."

Sakura nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. She reached out and squeezed Hinata's hand. Unexpectedly, she then wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and began crying. The two of them stared wordlessly as Naruto was carried away into the darkness.

"We…… we should get you home…." Sakura said. "Your family must be worried…."

"Yes," Hinata answered. But, she did **_not_** intend to go home. Someone at the hospital could carry word to her father and Hanabi.

_She was going to stay near Naruto._


	6. six

It was dark.

Why? Why wasn't there any light?

He couldn't move.

No. That wasn't exactly true. He didn't have a body he could feel.

_Was he dead?_

There had been a battle. He had come to rescue Hinata. The last thing he remembered was seeing her finish off the guy he had been fighting.

"I was seriously hurt." That came out as a thought. He could hear his own voice, but knew he hadn't spoken it.

Wait. He could move. And there was some light. A small amount. That way.

There was a sense of movement. Was he moving? As he became able to see his surroundings, recognition struck him. He had been in these hallways before.

_Did he really want to go there now?_

Why not? He obviously had nothing else he could do. Maybe he could find some answers.

The huge bars were barely visible. He couldn't see behind them. But, he could hear subtle breathing, like an ebb and flow of some great wind. And, that smell was there.

"Bastard fox! Am I…… are we…… dead…."

"**COME CLOSER. WALK PAST THE BARS. ASK ME AGAIN**. "

Naruto shivered. He felt so weak. The sound of Kyuubi's voice was hypnotic. "I…… I asked you a question. Are you afraid to answer…… or too stupid…."

There was a subtle sound of movement, like a silk kimono brushing up against a wall. Naruto could feel the rhythmic presence of warm breath blowing against his face. He twitched ever so slightly, but didn't take a step back.

"**ARE YOU AFRAID TO ASK? I NEED NOT ASK IF YOU ARE STUPID. COME** **CLOSER. YOU CAN FIT BETWEEN THE BARS.**"

Naruto set his jaw. He had no doubt what would happen if he stepped into the fox's cage. He didn't know what that would mean for his true body. He had no idea why the demon would seek that outcome, unless it had given up on life.

_Or was certain that Death was coming for them both._

Yes. That could be it. Nine Tails _might_ know they were dying, and wanted to at least have the satisfaction of eating him, just as he had always said.

"No thanks, asshole!" Naruto said. "If we gotta go, we gotta go." He walked over to the bars and brazenly lifted one foot up and stood on the edge of the cage. "But, I won't stop fighting until I'm gone." He spat into the darkened cage. "You go curl up in a ball and cry yourself to sleep, if you like!"

The sound of ringing steel echoed down the corridors. Kyuubi's great teeth impacted with the bars. A great strand of saliva splashed against Naruto, making him gag and stagger backwards.

"**INSOLENT INSECT. I SHOULD NEVER HAVE AIDED YOU. YOUR VERY** **EXISTANCE IS AN INSULT.**"

Naruto wiped his eyes, and then cursed. Demon slaver was rather aromatic. Scowling, he marched back over to the bars. "Blah Blah Blah. You've been alive for eons, and _that's_ the best that you can come up with? Shit!" He took out a kunai and banged against the bars. "Well, _there's_ the dinner bell. Just stab me on one of your claws and chow down! You _know_ you want to!" He banged on the bars again. "But, die knowing that Uzumaki Naruto had more courage than you…."

The following silence stretched on. It could have happened between heartbeats, or may have been the prelude to eternity. Naruto had no idea.

"**IT DOES NOT TAKE COURAGE TO FACE THE INEVITABLE, MORSEL. I HAVE** **DONE WHAT I COULD TO HEAL YOUR BODY. IT WAS NOT ENOUGH.**"

Naruto hung his head a moment. His life began flashing before his eyes, but he put a stop for that. He was not in the mood for something so cliché…… something so _defeatist._ "Maybe you're right," he said to the demon fox. "Maybe we _will_ die." He rubbed his neck. "But, we're not dead yet. And my friends were there. They wouldn't let me slip away without a fight."

The sound of chuckling could be heard. It was loud, oppressive, and almost percussive.

"**FRIENDS? OF WHAT USE ARE FRIENDS? THEY COMPETE FOR FOOD. THEY TARGET THE SAME MATES. THEY SEEK DOMINANCE. FREINDSHIP IS THE** **REASON WE LAY DYING.**"

Naruto shook his head. He realized just how different he and the youma were. Kyuubi probably never had a friend. It was a foreign concept to him. "That might be true for some people, and some friends." He paused a moment, thinking about his friends. "But, my friends gave me a reason to enjoy live. They help me when I need it…… unlike you, who help me only out of amusement, or for your own benefit. You can't understand why the difference is so important."

_The chuckling resumed, but Naruto pushed onward._

"Friendship didn't injure us," he said, feeling angry and somewhat defensive. "But, I would have gone after Hinata out of friendship. It was my duty to go. It was a matter of honor, too."

"**DUTY? HONOR? MORE USELESS THINGS. EXCUSES FOR POINTLESS ACTS.** **THINGS THAT THREATEN SURVIVAL.**"

Naruto's anger broke through. He threw his kunai into the cage. "Idiot fox! Why do you think you're in there, huh?" He banged his fists against the bars. "A great man gave up his life, through duty and honor." He tried to calm himself down. "Because of that, many people survived." He clenched his fists, and then relaxed them. "Because _I_ help my friends, _they_ help me. When we work together, we can do so much more than we could if we were alone."

There was no reply from Kyuubi. It was just as well. Naruto sank slowly to the floor, needing to rest his head on his knees.

Images from the Happy Crab crawled through his mind, giving way to images of the training ground. He heard his own words over and over. The visions he saw after that were those of the chase, his initial attacks, and the conflict that followed. After that, his sight faded. It felt as if he were being pulled away.

What did it mean? Was he leaving this place, returning to consciousness?

_Or was Death claiming him?_

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The hallway never seemed empty.

She wouldn't be surprised if every person who knew Naruto had stopped by, asking about his condition.

Tsunade rubbed her eyes after watching Kiba, Shino, Lee, Shikamaru, and Choji walk away. She sighed, and then leaned up against the wall, exhausted.

"You need some rest, Tsunade. I can handle things from here." Shizune looked tired as well. The two of them were standing outside of Naruto's door.

"It's alright, Shizune. This case is special. You know that…." The Hokage yawned, and then shook her head. "What's wearing me out is repeating the same thing over and over again. I wish they would have showed up at the same time."

Shizune looked back through the window into the Intensive Care suite. The monitors were all working perfectly. Naruto's vitals appeared stable.

_A lone figure still sat on the small stool near the young man's bed._

"Yes, but it _was_ wise to keep them out of the room after that first scene." Shizune tried to work a kink out of her leg. She had been standing for a good while, during the operation. It could have been much longer, if not for the amazing healing ability that Naruto had.

"Don't remind me," Tsunade said, frowning. "Sakura should known better than that. She's a medical ninja. But, I supposed she was feeling a lot of guilt." She ran a hand through her hair. "And Naruto means a lot to her." Her back still ached from when she had to physically pick the pink-haired girl up and remove her from the room, while Ino and Ten Ten watched with amusement.

All the while, Hinata had just sat there quietly. The quiet girl just kept watching Naruto, even when her friends were begging her to forgive them. Watching, Tsunade had been close to tears, and that was unusual for her.

"You mean, he means a lot to **_all_** of us, right?" Shizune managed a tired smile.

"Yes," Tsunade replied, thinking back to the time she had met Naruto. "Who would have guessed that such a loud, boastful, irreverent, and impatient young man would have won so many hearts?"

"Maybe because he's also determined, committed, high-spirited, loyal to a fault, and cares so much for those precious to him?" Shizune leaned against the wall herself. "Though I wish the townspeople could come to know him the way that we do."

Tsunade nodded. She moved one arm in a circle, trying to loosen her tight shoulder. "They may some day, if he lives to reach his dream. I bet that he _does_…."

Shizune pursed her lips. "Bet? With your luck, maybe you shouldn't dothat!" She smiled. "You really _would_ like to see him succeed you, right?"

The Hokage scowled at her top assistant. Her brows furrowed even more when she saw who had just stepped into the hallway. She had wondered if they would show up. Not for Naruto's sake, but for Hinata's.

"Is my daughter in the hospital?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked, looking concerned. "The runner you sent told me that she returned safely, but had been injured slightly." His other daughter stood close to his side, looking up at Tsunade's face.

"She's in good shape," Shizune answered. "I treated her wounds. She's exhausted more than anything else, having used up all of her chakra while escaping." She paused, wondering how the Hyuuga clan chief would react, knowing what his eldest child had been doing after her own wounds were tended to.

"Is there some kind of misunderstanding then?" Hiashi said, his face unreadable. "If she is stable, why hasn't she been released to come home?" He looked Tsunade in the yes. "If there is debriefing to be done, can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Neji walked over next to Shizune, and then peered in the window. He nodded his head. He had all the answer that he personally needed.

"He should be fine in time," the Shizune told Neji, knowing what the white-eyed young man wanted to know. "He's depleted too, and took a large number of serious injuries. Things were very close for a while.

"Is that who is in the room there? The young man who helped rescue my daughter?" Hiashi asked, frowning somewhat, looking at the door to Naruto's room. "Isn't he the boy who…." His face didn't change. He didn't need to mention the word 'Kyuubi'. "He is the one who had been sent to train with the Sannin, Jiraiya?"

"Yes," Tsunade said, somewhat tensely, before she forced herself to relax. "He saved Hinata's life. It was him, Kakashi, and Jiraiya." She looked intently at Hiashi. "If not for Naruto, Hinata would have been taken aboard a boat and spirited away. You daughter also did well, or so I've been told."

"I see," Hiashi said. He looked down at Hanabi. "We bear an extra burden, those of us in our clan. The Blood Limit." He looked over at Tsunade. "I am glad to hear that my daughter did well. I am even more pleased to hear that she is well." He looked towards the door again. "But, I would like to know where she is. Is she in _that_ room?"

"Yes." The Hokage set her jaw, not in a mood for a confrontation. "With my permission." It still infuriated her the way that some elder families treated the Naruto, through no fault of his own. "She chose to stay here until he regains consciousness, rather than return home."

"No doubt she is concerned about her rescuer." Hiashi's voice said that he was peripherally aware of her daughter's feelings for Naruto. "I would like to speak with her."

Tsunade nodded to Shizune, who went into the room and brought Hinata out.

"_F-F_-Father…." Hinata's eyes went wide, when she saw who was waiting for her.

"It's good that you're safe, Hinata." Hiashi's eyes softened for a moment. To him, it was more emotion than any family head should show to outsiders. "You should come home now. I wish to hear about your experience. I want to be certain that you are well."

"I baked you some cookies," Hanabi put in quickly, retreating when she saw her father's glare.

Hinata smiled at her sister, but bit her lip when she turned to face her father. "I would like to stay longer, Father. I should thank Naruto for my rescue. He still hasn't awakened yet." She refrained from bowing.

"You may thank the young man later, daughter. No doubt your presence here is a burden to those trying to save his life. It is not seemly for a ninja…… or a member of a high family…… to intrude too long into such matters." Hiashi's voice carried with it a ring of absolute certainty. "It is enough that you know he will survive."

"She is welcome to stay," Tsunade said. "I feel better keeping her under observation, seeing what she has been through." That statement was not entirely untrue.

Hiashi's frown deepened. This had started off as a family matter. Now it was becoming a matter of honor. "Hinata, we will leave now." Nodding to his eldest daughter, he turned and began to walk, expecting her to follow. When Hinata failed to move, he stopped and turned. "Hinata. This instant."

The white-eyed girl swallowed hard, and then shook her head.

"Do you intend to defy me?" Hiashi asked, his voice frigid. Hanabi cringed behind him. Neji opened his mouth to say something, but realized that it would only make things worse. Just the same, he nodded to his cousin, giving her his silent support.

Hinata closed her eyes, and then straightened her posture. Opening her eyes, she nodded her head. "I wish to stay, Father. Please do not ask me to leave." This time she did bow. "This is important to me."

Hiashi stood silently for a number of minutes, unmoving. No one broke the silence. "There will be thing for us to speak about when you return home," he finally said. "Nonetheless, I admire your courage. You have your mother's spirit. If she were still alive, no doubt she would approve of your staying." After saying that, he turned and heading down a nearby stairwell.

Hanabi waved goodbye briefly, then followed. Neji nodded, and then left as well.

It was Hinata's turn to lean up against the wall. She let out a long sigh, then put her hand on her forehead. Shizune and Tsunade looked at one another, smiling.

A crashing sound came from inside the room. That had everyone jumping. Shizune opened the door, a look of concern on her face. An I.V. pole had fallen over.

"What crappy service!" A voice said. "What does a guy need to do to get something to eat around here." There was a pause. "Shizune!Good. At least someone was here watching over me!"

Hinata's eyes went wide. Naruto was awake. And she hadn't been in there when he opened his eyes!

"Well, you kept a bunch of us busy most of the night," Shizune said, a great smile coming to her face. "But we had other things to do as well." She nodded to the door, when she saw Hinata peek inside. "Someone else was here the whole time, watching over you."

"Who?" Naruto lay back down, too drained to sit for long. "Sakura?" That made the most sense. The answer was swift in coming.

"Naruto-kun…."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

The main dining room of the Happy Crab was full.

Although the restaurant was fairly new, it drew a huge clientele. The food was good, the portions were large, and the prices were excellent.

Watching all of the other enthusiastic dinners slurp down their food, Naruto watched as one of the waitresses offered her apologies as she bumped into people on the closely placed benches.

"Where **_is s_**he?" He mumbled to herself. "Not that it really matters," he felt compelled to add. His orange and black jumpsuit should stand out amongst the more somber colors of the lunch crowd. If that didn't draw Hinata's attention, the tower-like stack of empty bowls would have.

He had started without her, wanting to make certain that the noodles were adequate. At least that was his story, and he was sticking to it….

Waiting impatiently, he thought back to his time in the hospital. The medical had kept him longer than he had thought necessary, and he had let them no that in no uncertain terms on numerous occasions. One such time had been especially memorable:

"You probably just want to keep me here, so you can gawk at me in one of these hospital robes," he had shouted at Tsunade, who he had seen standing outside of his room. "Because they have no back." The Hokage had not been alone at the time. "You and Shizune just can't get enough of my ass!"

Tsunade and Shizune had been giving two new Elders a tour of the medical facilities. When the enraged Hokage ran into chastise the impertinent ninja, he had smiled and shouted. "_Oooh_…… don't touch me there…… someone might see us…."

_It had been perfect! _

Or so he had thought at first. Tsunade had written him down for an enema after that. He was pretty certain that he hadn't needed one.

When he told that story to Jiraiya, who had stopped by to visit with him, his teacher burst out in laughter, causing numerous nurses to hurry into the room, trying to quiet him down. When he had showed them what he brought Naruto, they quickly left the room, red in the face.

"Here boy!" The Sannin had said, handing him a stack of reading material. "Those women get to see you near naked, but _won't_ return the favor. These are the next best thing." The dirty magazines had Naruto's eyes bulging and his nose about to spurt.

"I think you'll like **_this _**one especially. I tore it out so you can hang it on your wall, over near your chart-holder." It was a full frontal shot of an anatomically gifted young woman. Jiraiya had cut out a picture of Tsunade's head and glued it over the model's face.

When the Frog hermit had left, Tsunade came in to check on Naruto. He made it a point to throw the magazines into the trash bin while she was watching, complaining that his old teacher was trying to corrupt him. He then asked if she could remove the picture the hermit had taped to the wall.

"**How**… **many**… **people**… **saw**… **that**…!" She had asked, the look on her face causing Naruto to scoot back in bed.

"Uhhh…… _n-n_-not too _m-m_-many…." He had answered. "Just Choji…… and Shikamaru…." He managed to keep from smiling. "And Kiba…… he was _very_ complimentary…." He swallowed hard, seeing Tsunade clench her fists. "Neji stared longer than I though he would…… Lee went ballistic……. Konohamaru came back again, bringing Udon…… Udon fainted…."

Tsunade had turned redder than Naruto had every seen anyone turn. The way that she had she spoken Jiraiya's name didn't bode too well for her former teammate. "Was…… there…… anyone…… _else_…." She asked, her eyes very narrow.

"Well…… Iruka-sensei stopped in three times…." Naruto grinned, seeing the Hokage smack her fist into her hand. "But that was only because he made three trips to the noodle shop for me." He couldn't help chuckling.

_It earned him a very scary look._

Tsunade walked over close to Naruto, tearing the picture into little pieces. She held up one finger, and then asked "How did they know it was here, by the way?" Her fingernail tapped on the metal railing alongside Naruto's bed.

"I…… _well_….." Naruto was **_not_** about to tell her that he had called Kiba and had him spread word around. The wound that he had were no where near healed yet. He didn't need any new ones. "I…… I must have shouted it out in pain while I was getting my…… enema…." He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his lower lip.

Tsunade had just shaken her fistat him, speechless. Who knows what might have happened if Kakshi hadn't walked in at that time.

"_Kakashi-sensei!" _Naruto had shouted, causing his mentor to grin and shake his head. Kakashi-sensei, did **_you_** hear about the picture…." He looked over at the Hokage and raised an eyebrow. Tsunade left, but the look on her face promised future retaliation.

"No," Kakashi had lied, seeing Shizune listening by the door. Taking something out of his vest, he let it unfold. Jiraiya had given him a similar work of art.

After that, the Copy Ninja had gone on to tell Naruto about things he had heard about the Waterfall Village, and let him know what the political and military ramifications were going to be.

"_They're_ suing _us_ for peace? Before there was even a war? And they were the one's who did this?" Naruto had been incredulous.

"It's all talk. They know that they're in big trouble. If they can't find a new alliance very soon, I would wager that the Hero will be deposed." The Copy Ninja had looked very serious for a moment. "I hope that this does not give anyone else any similar ideas."

"Yeh! Ah! I know how we can make them our allies again!" Naruto's had lit up.

"Huh?" Kakashi had noticed the wicked glint in his student's eyes. _"How?"_

"Send them that picture!" Naruto had pointed to the centerfold that Kakashi still held in his hand.

Kakashi had smiled. "It's good to see that you are well again." He had left shortly after that.

His thoughts returning to the present time, Naruto wiped his mouth on a napkin. It was good that things were pretty much back to normal. He had been sitting at this very same table when Sakura had come looking for him, setting events in motion. That comedy of events had turned tragic, but things had actually worked out or the better.

Hinata was safe. The Waterfall was thwarted. Everyone had praised him for his success. And, even though it had been for a short while, he had been able to fight along with Kakashi and Jiraiya at the same time.

Yes, he had fought with his two mentors. The two of them and Hinata.

**Hinata.**

"Where _is_ she?" Naruto looked up at the clock on the wall. Sure, he had told her noon at the latest, and it wasn't noon yet; but, he had also said that the best noodles were often gone before that.

"Waiting for your girlfriend?" One of the waitresses asked, overhearing Naruto. "Are you still going to be hungry when she gets here?" She was looking at the stack of empty bowls. Suddenly, she shook her head, feeling foolish. "Forget I asked that last part!" There were few grown men that could eat as much as that young man.

"I have room for plenty more Ramen," Naruto said, rubbing his belly. "And she **_isn't _**my girlfriend. It's not like this is a date or something." He scowled and folded both hands across his chest. "We're just meeting for lunch. The two of us. You know. _Friends."_

"Oh…… I see……" The waitress smiled, and then hurried to take another order across the room.

"It isn't a date," Naruto muttered. Tapping his chopsticks against the table top, he thought once more about his time in the hospital. Sakura had stopped in to see him on her own, bringing him a basket of fruit and a bunch of flowers.

When she walked into his room, he had been sneaking a look at a magazine he had saved, one he had hidden under his pillow. Seeing him blush, and watching him foolishly try to hide the publication, his teammate had demanded to know what it was.

Naturally he had refused.

That, of course, did **_not_** sit well with Sakura. When she thought he was distracted by her conversation, she made a lunge for his pillow, intent on grabbing the magazine. Reaching too far over the railing, she had fallen, just as Naruto had tried to pull the magazine out of reach. Draped across him in an unintentionally provocative situation, she had been thoroughly embarrassed when Shizune walked in to check on her patient.

"Shizune… look what _Sakura_ brought me…." Naruto had decided to pay Sakura back for the _'Warning: Infectious Stupidity' _sign that she had hung on his door. "She was in a big hurry to try some of it out…." He tossed the magazine to the shocked medical ninja, watching her face go through a whole spectrum of colors.

"You…… her…… I didn't know…." Shizune blushed.

Sakura had scrambled to her feet the moment that her fellow medical worker entered the room. Looking over her co-worker's shoulder, her mouth had fallen open when she looked at the glossy photographs in the magazine . She formed both hands into fists and would have sent Naruto back to Intensive Care, if Shizune hadn't restrained her.

"Naruto…… you _pig!" _The pink-haired girl had shouted. That had Ton Ton looking into the room.

"Huh?" Naruto had put on an innocent look. "Oh, I get it. _Sorry" _He had winked. "It was only me, Shizune. It was _not_ Sakura. She… would…… _never_…… do…… that….." He winked repeatedly. "She fell. That's all. I _swear_…." He put on an exaggerated straight face and nodded.

"I **_did_** fall!" Sakura exclaimed, red in the face. "**_Tell_** her!"

"It's true," Naruto said with a big smile. Sakura relaxed, just a little. "She was trying to look at the magazine; but I wouldn't let her!"

"But…… I…… you…." Sakura looked to be having one of her _Inner Sakura _moments. Naruto would give anything to know what she had been thinking. "I didn't know what…… I just wanted to see what he had…."

"That's real easy in these hospital robes," Naruto had answered nonchalantly. "Seeing what I have." He covered his crotch area with his hands.

"**NARUTO!**"

Shizune had pulled back on a furious Sakura with all of her strength, tempted to use a paralyzing jutsu or call for assistance. If Sakura were kerosene, Naruto must certainly be a match. No, not a match.

_Rather, one of the Katon techniques!_

All of the commotion had caught Tsunade's attention. She had been finishing up in the adjacent room. Seeing the magazine, she gave Naruto a look that should have had him going mute for the rest of that night. Instead, it only threw more fuel on the fire.

"Granny Tsunade," he said loudly, spitting on the sleeve of his gown and wiping his cheek. "Is all of the lipstick gone now?" He chuckled. "On my cheek, I mean!" He put a pillow over his lap.

Sakura broke free. Tsunade held up an arm, stopping Shizune as she moved to restrain the other medical ninja. They both watched as the pink-haired girl clobbered Naruto over the head with a full pitcher. The container had broken from the impact. Ice flew about the room, and water ran down Naruto's back.

"Shit!" he had grunted. Putting his hand to a quick-rising bump on his head, he scowled. "Sakura's crazy! Does she have that P.M.S. thing that Ero-Sennin was telling me about?"

Shizune had blushed. Tsunade had just closed her eyes. Sakura had tried to calm herself down. She would have succeeded.

"It might explain the bloating," Naruto had said, pointing at Sakura.

After the pink-haired girl had finished clubbing Naruto near senseless with his pillow, Shizune had patted the Hokage on the arm, telling her it had been the right thing to do, saving Naruto's life. Tsunade had reluctantly agreed. But, she had also said that it might have been the biggest mistake of her life, allowing Naruto to train alone with Jiraiya.

Sakura had eventually felt bad about what she had done, and had come back to see him again, bringing some sweet dumplings as an apology.

"Wow! Two visits from Sakura in the same day!" Naruto said, grinning. "Do you like me or something?" He leaned back in his bed, whistling, putting his arms behind his head. "The only other person to visit me that much has been Hinata, but **_that's_** only because she feels grateful for her rescue!"

"Baka! That's _not_ why Hinata's visits you! How can anyone be so dense? You are still 'that Naruto', aren't you." Sakuta put her hand on her forehead and sighed.

"Huh? What do you mean, Sakura-chan?" Naruto had scratched his head. "Why does Hinata visit me?"

"It's because…." Sakura had stopped. She shook her head, wondering who the idiot was. She had come close to telling Naruto something that he should hear from the girl herself. "It's not for me to say…." Then again, he had already told Naruto that Hinata liked him, when she tracked him down at the noodle den.

"That's not fair!" Naruto could never take being kept in the dark. "Sakura-chan…… Sakura-chan." He had put his hands on his hips and glared. "_Tell Me!"_

Sakura had just shaken her head. But, remembering what Naruto had done earlier, she made certain to put on an infuriating smirk.

"Ooooooh." Naruto had jumped and landed nose to nose with his fellow ninja. "_Sakura-chan!"_ He looked and felt like he was about to explode. "**TELL ME!**" The answer itself was not nearly as important as the fact that Sakura wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know.

Sakura had grinned, and then tossed her hair. Raising one hand, she turned and began walking. "Bye, Naruto!" Stopping at the door, she turned and took one more look at his face. "Why don't you ask Hinata?" Her smile had gotten even larger when she heard some light footsteps. "Oh. Hi, Hinata! We were just talking about you." She had left after that.

A moment later, another head looked around the door frame. "Ummm…… Naruto-kun…."

Naruto had suddenly felt exposed, wearing his hospital gown. He had swallowed hard. Why hadn't he felt that way around Sakura? "Hey…… hello, Hinata…… you're back again." He had backed to his chair and sat down, catching himself before he crossed his legs. "I'm getting better……" he coughed. "You know me…… Uzumaki Naruto…. Nothing can keep me down for long."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata had bowed slightly, holding out her hands. "I brought this for you. Last time, you said that your appetite had returned."

Naruto had held out his hands, took the bag Hinata offered, and opened it. The cookies inside were still warm. "Ah! Cookies! Cookies! Yes!" He grinned. "Thank you, Hinata-chan." That had Hinata blushing and rubbing two fingers together.

Naruto had begun consuming cookies at a phenomenal rate, polishing off half of the bag before he stopped, cheeks puffed out like those of a chipmunk, and offered the bag to Hinata. "_Mrrrph_… you… _mmmprh_… want…" Crumbs had spurted out of his mouth, causing him to close his eyes and swallow. "Would you like some, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata had shaken her head, staring at Naruto. "Ummm…… Naruto-kun…. Shizune warned me about something." The white-eyed girl had folded her hands together. "She told me to ask if you had any more magazines."

_Naruto had begun choking, when he inadvertently tried to swallow half of a cookie._ "I…. (cough cough)…. what else…. urggh…. what else did she…. (cough cough)…. say…"

"Well." Hinata had said, cocking her head. "She told me _not_ to read them, no matter what." She looked down at her feet. "Why…… why would Shizune say that to me?"

Naruto had blanched. It had been fun teasing Sakura. Tsunade had gotten just what she had deserved. But he had _not_ been about to show Hinata the final magazine he had hidden under the mattress! Unfortunately, Sakura's refusal to answer his questions about Hinata's visits had stayed firmly in his subconscious. So, when he had automatically searched for a way to change the subject, he returned to that very topic.

"Uhhh…. **_that's_** not important……" He had laughed, putting his hand behind his neck. "So, Hinata, why do you keep coming back to see me? It's not because you're grateful, _right?" _As soon as that inquiry had left his lips, he began to feel uncomfortable.

Hinata had just stood there. Her eyes had gone wide, her fingers moving faster than before.

Naruto had suddenly felt like a complete dolt. He finally remembered what Sakura had said in the Happy Crab. He had thought that she was joking at the time. After that, his anger had obscured any trace of his teammate's words: 'Yes, Hinata. You know…… small shy girl…… white eyes…… huge crush on you for as long as anyone could remember….'

Sakura had said more after that: 'Well, now that you know how she feels, what are you going to **_do_** about it? His thoughts at the time had been simple: why should he have to do anything about it if it was true?

Lost in thought, Naruto had tried to eat another cookie, but his mouth was dry. Trying to put it back in the bag, he missed. The errant snack food rolled across the floor and hit Hinata, toppling over.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata had been thinking about something that Sakura had suggested that she do. "Ummm…… would it be alright if I…… ummm treated you to noodles at your favorite place?"

The offer had caught Naruto by surprise. He had answered instinctively. "Sure, Hinata-chan!"

"We…… we could also…… we could also discuss jutsu, if you would like…." Hinata had been blushing furiously, and there had been a look in her eyes that he had never seen before. It might have been pride. Or, it could have been relief. Hell, it could have been _anything_, knowing girls.No doubt there had been _more_ that she had wanted to say. Maybe she would get around to that today, here at the Ramen parlor.

He still wasn't certain how he felt about that. But, he was here. Of course, it was just for the noodles, right? And he loved to discuss jutsu. Yes! That was it.

The door to the Happy Crab opened and then closed again, causing a small bell to ring. Hinata had stepped into the shop. Soon, she caught sight of Naruto and began walking towards his table. He couldn't help but stare. The white-eyed girl was wearing a dress. And when she got closer, he could tell that she was wearing make-up.

Hinata turned and looked at the large glass window at the front of the shop. Naruto followed her gaze. Sakura, Ten Ten, and Ino were standing outside, each giving her a thumbs-up sign.

_Naruto suddenly felt a lump in his throat._

_**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**_

_END_


	7. Epilogue

The sound of small bells could be heard across that area of the practice field.

Hinata shook her head. Naruto was playing _that_ game again? It certainly seemed that he was a creature of habit.

She didn't mind. She was a creature of habit too. But, that _didn't_ mean that she wouldn't learn from her experiences, or react accordingly.

"Ha! Hinata!" Naruto jumped up to stand at the top of one of the wooden posts. "Before I begin teaching you today, you need to snatch at least one of the bells from me." He put his hands on his hips. "If you want to succeed, you need to come at me as if you intend to kill me."

Hinata bit her lip. She still had trouble with _that_ concept when it came to sparring with Naruto. Even though he was very good, she feared that she might accidentally injure him severely. The two of them had been training together for a number of months now, ever since she had worked up the courage to meet him at the Happy Crab that first time.

Somehow, she had managed to tell him how she felt. He must have been as uncomfortable as she had been, however. His response had been: 'Huh! We shouldn't talk about something like _that_ over lunch!' He had stared at her and ended up knocking over his stack of bowls. He had also been very brusque, and tried to feign disinterest. But, in the end, he had happily agreed to train with her when they were both free of missions and assigned practice sessions.

Practice had led to post-training meals. Post-training meals had led to more talking. While the chatter had been mostly on Naruto's part, she didn't mind. He had a lot of stories, and they all seemed wonderful to her. Well, all of them _except_ for some of the ones with Jiraiya.

The time the two of them had spent talking together had broken down barriers, and before they knew it, the two of them had begun dating.

"Naruto-kun, what jutsu were you planning on teaching me today?" Hinata had begun to be selective. In the beginning, she would do _anything_ that Naruto suggested, just to be with him, and to make certain that he didn't lose interest. But, once he had begun seeing her differently, she had begun standing up for herself more and more. They were both learning a great deal.

"_Hey! _ The best of the best! I think you may _finally_ be ready for it!" He jumped to the ground. "Watch carefully, I will only demonstrate this once." Smiling, he shouted "_Oiroke no Jutsu!" _The specialized variation of the Henge no Jutsu left him looking like a naked and curvaceous babe that he had seen in one of the adult magazines Jiraiya had given him in the hospital.

Hinata closed her eyes. She felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. While she had slowly gotten used to certain of Naruto's habits… and to the Hokage's great relief had even been able to get him to act more wholesomely… she was _still_ the same proper girl at heart.

Just the same, she had begun to develop a small mischievous streak of her own, much to Naruto's delight.That did not sit nearly as well with Tsunade. "_Ummm_. OK, Naruto-kun" Hinata knew what to do. "But…… well…."

"What! Too shy to try it, Hinata?" Naruto took up one of his boastful poses. That had Hinata grinning, which lead to Naruto preening even more.

"No, Naruto-kun." Hinata put her hand behind her neck, imitating one of Naruto's gestures. "To be fair, I will need… _ummm_… one of the magazines that… _ummm_… some of the girls look at…." It hadn't been easy, but she got it out. That ought to catch him off guard.

Naruto's mouth fell open. He hadn't expected Hinata to want anything to do with that jutsu. No doubt she was only joking. But picturing her as a nude male centerfold had his skin crawling. "Never mind!" He said. "We can select the jutsu later. First, you need to get the bells. I promise that I won't put them down my pants again!"

Hinata blushed. She had not gotten the bells that time. Most definitely not! When she related the story to Kurenai, her teacher had done something to Naruto that neither of them would talk to her about. "OK, Naruto-kun." She picked up the bag she had brought with her. Grinning, she took out two boxes.

Bento lunches.

"Bells first, lunch second!" Naruto said, ringing the bells again. His thoughts went back to the day that he, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi had come to this very site. He had ended tied up to one of the posts, after trying to sneak one of the box lunches.

"That is correct, Naruto-kun." Hinata took the lid off of her box and began eating. "If you give me the bells, I will give you some lunch." She smiled a shy smile.

"**HINATA!**" Naruto said, shaking a fist at her. "That's a dirty trick!" He smiled. "I'm _very _proud of you." He tossed her the bells. Before she knew it, he was sitting next to her with the box in his lap.

"Do you think they look good, Naruto-kun?" Hinata blushed, still a bit awkward when it came to joking around. She held one bell up to each ear, like an earring.

Naruto smiled, a piece of octopus tentacle hanging from his lips before he sucked it in. "_Mmm Hmmm._ That's a good idea. They put bells on cats to keep track of them, right?" He chuckled. "That way, I could warn you when to stay out of the lecture room."

Hinata blushed, fumbling her bento and almost dropping it.

She had gotten into the habit of tracking Naruto down during the day, needing to see his face, and wanting to sneak a quick kiss when no one was watching. A few weeks ago, she had something else to deliver… an invitation for him to join the Hyuugas for dinner. She had been very excited, and was in such a hurry to give it to give the nicely decorated card to him, that she had walked into one of the lectures for male shinobi.

The lecturer had been in the middle of a graphic description, part of the sexual education talk. Kiba had shouted out "Here's our model!" Everyone else had burst out into laughter, or had whistled and howled. Furious, Naruto had schooled Kiba… and about half of the guys in the room… but Hinata had_not_ stayed there to see it. Unfortunately, the fight became an instant legend, which meant that _everybody_ learned the reason for the fight.

Before Naruto knew it, his bento box was gone. He grimaced. Most of the time he was very pleased at Hinata's growing skills. Most of the time.

"OK… OK… no more troublesome stuff…." He did a perfect imitation of Shikamaru, ending up staring at the clouds. That had Hinata giggling and returning his lunch. The memory of that one particular day had him remembering Hinata's invitation, and the events that followed. "Maybe you _should_ keep the bells. You can ring them, letting me know when to calm down."

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata looked curious. What did her boyfriend mean? In many people's minds, he needed to calm down every minute of every day.

"I don't think your father will be inviting me back for dinner anytime soon." Naruto shook his head. "I'm surprised he even allows you to see me."

"Oh." Hinata grinned, even though there were some sharp edges to the memory. "I think you are wrong, Naruto-kun. I know that was hard for you; but Father was secretly pleased."

"**Huh?**" Naruto frowned.

"Not about the secret," she quickly clarified.

One of the Hyuuga elders had taken offense to Naruto's presence at the gathering, and had broken the unofficial law by mentioning Kyuubi and his living prison. That had _not_ been easy for Naruto. It had come as a tremendous shock to Hinata.

"What the?" It was Naruto's turn to look curious. What possible good could have come out of that debacle?

"Father was pleased with the way that you talked elder Hizami down. He had wanted to do that for years, but cannot do so as clan head." Hinata pictured the event. Naruto had gotten up on a table full of beautiful dinnerware and countless platters of food, and had marched over to read the riot act to the startled elder.

Things could have gotten very ugly, if it hadn't been for Hanabi. "Can you take the fox out, so I can pet it?" Her innocent question had Naruto's jaw dropping at first. But, he jumped down off of the table, sat next to her sister, and began telling her about Kyuubi, as if nothing had happened.

To say the least, the dinner guests had been stunned by the whole series of events.

"He was also pleased with the gifts you sent" Hinata said, looking fondly at her Naruto. She reached over and squeezed his hand. "The elder's actions were a stain on the family honor; but, you didn't make an issue of that. Instead, you worried about how _you_ had behaved. He respected that."

Naruto had actually made an effort to write an apology to Hiashi. He had also included a small promissory note, one which said that he would bring noodles for everyone if he was ever asked to dinner again. Not only that, but he had also sent along a cute stuffed fox for Hanabi.

"Of course, he was _furious_ with you at first." Hinata shivered for a moment. "That changed as he thought things over." Hinata leaned up against Naruto. "Hanabi has a terrible crush on you. She wants to marry you some day."

"Oh yeh? What girl wouldn't?" Naruto scowled when Hinata started giggling. "Besides, I have already done my duty to the Leaf. _Somebody_ had to date a Hyuuga girl! One's definitely enough!" He lifted his chin and looked away.

Hinata didn't play along with the joke. She had stiffened, and performed Byakugan.

"What's wrong," Naruto asked, immediately sensing the change in her.

"We are being watched. It's…." She never finished what she was going to say.

Vengeance is a terrible drive. The Hero of the Hidden Falls had spent months wandering alone, his life in shambles. He had given out much of the holy water, which was only collected every one hundred years. His orders had led to the death of six of the village's strongest ninja, and skilled shinobi were in short supply. All that, plus the drastic political fall-out, had prompted his ouster. There had been one thing on his mind after that. _Revenge._ More than anything, he needed to kill the girl who was at the root of his problems. That would have been enough. But, he had been ecstatic to see who she was sitting with, unawares, eating lunch together.

That outfit. That loud and boisterous behavior. It matched the description that underground sources had provided him with. The boy was one of the ninjas who had thwarted his daring plan.

He would kill both of them.

With Hero Water coursing through his system, he was a frightful adversary, a ninja stronger than those he had sent out before. But, his arrogance and blind thirst for retribution proved his undoing. He had chosen the wrong pair to attack. Especially when each realized that the other was in danger.

So, it was later in the day that a battered, bruised, and bloody Naruto kicked open the door to the Hokage's office, accompanied by a rather tattered looking Hinata. Tsunade looked up in surprise when the two shinobi walked into the room.

Naruto threw something down to the carpet, off of his shoulder. It was the unconscious form of the former _Hero._ Hinata jingled slightly as she limped along, bells hanging from her ears.

Tsunade listened, receiving a detailed report about the fight. During the commentary, she called for a number of ANBU, who were given the task of bringing the captive to the prison facilities.

After the masked ninja had left, the Hokage stared at Hinata and Naruto, marveling not only at their unparalleled ability to stumble into trouble, but also at the way that the two of them had subdued a rather fearsome foe. Hearing the bells again, her attention focused on the white-eyed girl's odd choice of earrings.

"Why?" Tsunade touched her own ears, meeting Hinata's eyes.

"_Ummm_. Hokage-sama…." Hinata twiddled her fingers in lieu of offering an explanation. "I will tell you in a moment…." She was blushing, but there was a clear spark of mischief in her eyes. "First, before I forget, I must ask you an important question."

"Oh?" Tsunade wondered just what the younger woman needed to know.

"Do you……_ ummm_…… do you have any of the… ummm… special magazines?" Hinata began turning red. She was amazed at how far she was willing to go to tease Naruto.

"Magazines?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Just what was Hinata up to? No doubt she was trying to score points against the boy at her side. "What kind of magazines?"

"You know. Ummm. _Those _kind of magazines…." The inflection in the white-eyed girl's voice had the Hokage's eyes going wide."

"Hey! Old Lady! Our report is done. We have delivered the criminal." Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and began pulling her from the room. "We need to go to the treatment area. Later!"

Tsunade watched as they left, the sound of the bells growing fainter. Did she really want to know what that was all about?

_What a pair…._


End file.
